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Exercise for happiness: ways to stay active and happy Alyssa Gerhardt Contributor As we progress through the first few weeks of the new school year, it is not too late to think about your active lifestyle before the r ush of assignments, midterms and major projects. Not only is exercise beneficial for your physical health, but extremely beneficial for your mental health. Living the life of a student is never easy and the stress only builds as the semester progresses; implementing an active living routine now may save you a lot of angst in the long r un. The United Kingdom’s Mental Health Foundation lists the benefits of physical activity on your mental well- being, which includes: less tension, stress and mental fatigue; a natural energy boost; improved sleep; a sense of achievement; focus in life and motivation; less anger or fr ustration; a healthy appetite; better social life and; having fun. All of these things can help with our academic success as well.
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Living the life of a student is never easy and the stress only builds as the semester progresses.
Committing to an active living plan does not have to be strenuous or time- consuming. It is simply being aware of your need for balance and making time for recreational activities. This could mean taking a half hour ever y morning to go for a walk, or take the after noon to go for a hike with friends. Ever y individual has different interests in regards to exercise, so find what you enjoy and make it a part of your daily routine. Do not consider time exercising as time wasted; during times of physical activity you may find yourself reflecting on a class reading or coming up with a creative idea for your term paper. Later, when you return to your work you may find yourself reenergized and accomplish more than if had you forced yourself to stay at your desk. Luckily, as Acadia students, our campus and community has a lot to offer in terms of physical and recreational activity. With fall only beginning, it is still possible to take advantage of outdoor activities. Hiking Cape Split or Blomidon Provincial Park with friends is a great way to spend the day while seeing some of Nova Scotia’s most beautiful scener y. Closer to home, Wolfville’s Woodland Trails make for a peaceful walk and chance to appreciate the North American wildlife around us. Also, Acadia Campus provides students with sports intramurals, including ultimate Frisbee, soccer, basketball etc. Intramurals are an outlet for physical activity and team interaction. Acadia also has a variety of clubs that are based on physical activity and meeting new people, for example, the Acadia Slackline Club and Acadia Yoga and Meditation Society. The important thing to remember when thinking about ways to be physically active and happy is, do what makes you comfortable. If you are not currently physically active, begin with what makes you comfortable and go from there. With many societal pressures regarding body image, it is easy to view exercise as another daily stress. You do not have to force yourself to do an extensive workout ever yday to be physically active. Exercise for the right reasons, to benefit your physical and mental health, and not just because you’re concerned about your weight and the way others perceive your physical appearance. Once exercising becomes a part of your daily routine, it will be easier to maintain a healthy balance and stay positive during the stressful times of student life.
Photo Credit: Evan Phinney
Looking Outside the lines Jalen Sabean Contributor
Far too often in sports we fail to see through an individual’s athletic stardom and take a hard look at the person behind the talent. We live in a society that thrives on entertainment, making it very easy to become fixated on the game-winning shootout goal, or buzzer beater three. As fans we celebrate in these accomplishments, sometimes with envy, and we do not give it additional thought. But are we selling our athletes short? It is easy to celebrate a sports team or an individual athletic accomplishment, but there are other events that we do not recognize the way they deserve. Although they may be best known for their on field or on court presence, all athletes are also members of their community, and how they choose to handle those responsibilities can have a profound impact on the other members of the community. Whether it is s a younger athlete looking for a role model, or an adult resident with a certain expectation of the contribution an athlete should be making to his or her community, there are standards outside the game that they also must live up to. Right here in Wolfville, our Acadia Axemen and Axewomen have a considerable presence and maximize their positive impact on the community. While we know this to be true, there are still no awards handed out or banner raised in honor of this impact. Our athletes are used to seeing that when they make an athletic accomplishment. This is not a matter of the athletics being more important since the objective of being a good citizen is not to receive something in return. For those who picked up the September 11th issue and read Laura Jeha’s article “Healing Through Sport”, we saw the perfect example of our athletes getting to put all their talents on display, athletic or not. Current and former Axemen basketball players came together for two days, taking part in the Alex McLaughlin Memorial Basketball Tournament, not to prove that they were the best at their craft, but to use it as a way to give back to Communities Addressing Suicide Together, CAST. But this is just one recent example, and while we see these kinds of acts every day, it is not often we take the time to document and appreciate them. It is time we did. Over the next eight months, I will be looking to dedicate my articles to Acadia athletes making a positive change in the community. Whether it is participation in S.M.I.L.E., volunteering at a community organization such as L’arche Homefires, working in collaboration with the Annapolis Valley School Board, or simply inspiring youth to succeed in everything they do, these athletes deserve the recognition, and this is just the start to ensure that happens. If you know of an Acadia athlete or athletic team that deserves recognition for a positive change they have made in the community, you can direct all information to jalen.sabean@acadiau.ca for consideration. To get real-time updates on what your Axemen and Axewomen are currently doing in the community follow @AxesForChange on Twitter and add to the conversation by tagging us in any related tweets or photos.
September 25th, 2014
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