WORK ITout

Moving hundreds of miles away from her hometown of Albuquerque, New Mexico, to Eugene, Oregon, was challenging for Sara Swinson, a University of Oregon freshman. “The first term of freshman year was really, really hard for me. I was in a new place with new people, doing something that I had never done before,” Swinson said.

Fortunately, Swinson discovered an outlet at the gym. She swims on the club swim team and takes Group X fitness classes at the Student Recreation Center. She makes time for movement in any way she can. Whether jumping in the pool or breaking a sweat on the StairMaster, she has found the gym to be her stress reliever.

Swinson recalled her first weeks on campus. “I felt completely overwhelmed and at a loss. I lacked the confidence in all of the things that I was doing,” she said. “I didn’t know if I would be able to make friends, and I didn’t know if I would be able to just succeed in school. But I knew that I could swim and be active in my body.”

According to Chantelle Russell, the associate director for physical education at the University of Oregon, when pent-up anxiety starts taking a toll on your mental health, physical activity can relieve that stress. Walking, biking and dancing are all exercises that decrease stress, no matter your experience level.

“When you’re stressed or when you have a test, that’s actually when you should really come to the gym,” Russell said.

Finding time for the gym may be difficult, but prioritizing your physical health can dramatically benefit your mental health. “If I feel like everything else is falling apart, I can go get a good workout and then I get to control that,” Swinson said.

“It helps me feel more grounded.”