Physical Activity
Exercise is the best medicine
The benefits of being physically active, physically fit, and engaging in regular exercise exist regardless of sex, ethnicity, or age. Studies have estimated that being physically inactive can increase the 20 - 30% mortality rate compared to physically active people (Fletcher et al., 2018).
Heart Health
Cardiorespiratory fitness is positively associated with self-esteem, self-concept, physical self-perceptions, and well-being and is negatively associated with depression for university students (Sanchez et al., 2021). Lower cardiovascular fitness at age 18 years was associated with an increased risk of serious depression in adulthood in a large population-based Swedish cohort study (Fletcher et al., 2018).
How much should you exercise?
The American Heart Association recommends that people should have at least 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise. However, according to a study (Warburton & Bredin, 2017), they found that there was no threshold of activity. It means that you didn't need to hit a certain activity level to see benefits. So by finding small ways to incorporate physical activity like parking a little farther from the store would be better for your health than doing nothing and far easier as a busy college student.
Why you should be consistent!
Even though it might be challenging to stay consistent in our exercise. Studies have verified that consistency in exercise promotes a good and healthy life style. Not only does it feel good but participants with higher physical activity levels had a lower relative risk of acquiring type 2 diabetes mellitus than those who with a lower physical activity level. The results of the reviewed studies indicate that physical activity seems to be an important factor that can have beneficial effects for the reviewed noncommunicable diseases weight gain and obesity, CHD and type 2 diabetes mellitus, the risk factors weight gain and obesity and the age-related diseases dementia and Alzheimer's disease.
References
Cadenas-Sanchez, C., Mena-Molina, A., Torres-Lopez, L., Migueles, J. H., Rodriguez-Ayllon, M., Lubans, D. R., & Ortega, F. B. (2021). Healthier minds in fitter bodies: A systematic review and meta-analysis of the association between physical fitness and mental health in youth. Sports Medicine (Auckland), 51(12), 2571-2605. doi:10.1007/s40279-021-01520-y
Fletcher, G. F., Landolfo, C., Niebauer, J., Ozemek, C., Arena, R., & Lavie, C. J. (2018). Promoting physical activity and exercise: JACC health promotion series. Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 72(14), 1622-1639. doi:10.1016/j.jacc.2018.08.2141
Reiner, Niermann, C., Jekauc, D., & Woll, A. (2013). Long-term health benefits of physical activity--a systematic review of longitudinal studies. BMC Public Health, 13(1), 813–813. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-13-813
Warburton, & Bredin, S. S. D. (2017). Health benefits of physical activity: a systematic review of current systematic reviews. Current Opinion in Cardiology, 32(5), 541–556. https://doi.org/10.1097/HCO.0000000000000437