They say a healthy mind is in a healthy body. Every culture features its own version of this commonsensical wisdom. In recent decades, This old mantra has been heavily reinforced by scientific research and a strong statistical correlation between physical fitness and cognitive performance. When was the last time your body felt fresh, but you were in a bad mood? Or the other way around? Your body and mind are strongly interrelated and directly influence each other. In other words, they stand and fall together. Below, we explore some major ways sports can affect your learning.
Supercharge your brain development
Playing sports isn’t time wasted and doesn’t come at the expense of learning; quite the contrary. A Plethora of research has proven over and over again that regular physical activity boosts cognitive functioning and aids mental development. (along with physical, obviously)
Statistical data from various reputable sources show a strong correlation between regular exercise and higher average grades in students.
Sports aren’t just physical
Knowledge is not restricted to books. There’s a very useful term – street smart, which refers to a high level of common sense that comes from diverse real-life experiences and is
applicable to a wide range of realistic situations. Sounds much more useful than those physics formulas you memorized for an exam.
In contrast with repetitive gym exercise, sports also require mental effort. They involve cunning and tactics, helping you develop strategic and adaptive thinking, which will translate well into your academic performance and enhance your overall brain power. So, even in terms of learning, it might be a good idea to ditch some of your mandatory but useless paperwork to APA paper writing services and hit the field!
Furthermore, many view sports as miniature plays of life, where you learn about rivalry, dominance, discipline, teamwork, learn to focus, and taste disappointment. All of these qualities are also highly relevant to learning.
Sports events can take you through a rollercoaster of emotions which will help you off-load bad feelings and raise your baseline mood so that you can attack daily challenges with a refreshed mindset.
Keep your mental health in check
As a consequence of keeping you vibrant and happy, exercise keeps the depression and anxiety away. Research data has shown that regular physical activity severely reduces the risks of developing psychological problems and is used as a popular method of treatment for common mental health issues. When you exercise for physical health, you automatically support your mental health as well.
Fuel your confidence
It is a well-known fact that physical fitness raises confidence in people. Elevated confidence will directly improve every aspect of your life, including learning, and bring out the best of your character traits.
Anyone who’s ever worked out or fully exerted themselves in a sports event can relate to the empowering feeling of refreshment and reinvigoration after leaving a field or a gym – as if you just left a charging station and are ready to tackle anything life can throw at you.
Anyone who is physically dormant and leads a sedentary lifestyle misses out on this electrifying sensation.
Bottom line
To recapitulate previous points: sports help you discharge from negative emotions and provoke positive ones; They boost your mood, self-esteem, and energy level. Physical activity enhances cognitive function and delays or outright prevents the onset of mental problems that otherwise come with age or stress. And as a cherry on top, sports improve your focus, teamwork, strategic thinking, and emotional intelligence. All of these factors directly influence your learning in a positive way. How lazy and ignorant should one be to miss out on all these benefits? What is your excuse?
Eric Wyatt is a writer and a former student counselor. He has always been an avid proponent of engaging students in physical activities from an early age for healthy overall development. Eric uses his professional experience and captivating writing ability to come up with insightful and informative essays that inspire and influence students and others alike.
Follow Us