BOITUMELO MAKEPEA
It is no secret that sports and regular physical activity help to reach fitness goals and to maintain good health, but participating in sports can also be beneficial to your studying.
The regular physical activity that comes with participating in sports can help boost your confidence together with your self-esteem. Playing sports helps increase stamina, strength and strategic skills, which can aid in improving self-image. This can improve confidence and help you to succeed in tasks that may require you to, for example, stand in front of a class and deliver a presentation, add your ideas in group work, or be a class representative.
Playing sports is a good way to make new friends as it allows you to interact and engage with a wide range of people in a way that you might not usually. This could aid in your ability to interact with other students, tutors and lecturers in academic settings.
Engaging in regular physical activity can help to improve sleeping habits. Many students have irregular sleeping patterns, which lead to exhaustion and an inability to get proper rest – which can further hinder academic performance. Participating in sports could be a way to improve quality of sleep. Feeling properly rested assists in fostering a healthy mental outlook which will aid in planning study time and daily agendas. The combination of regular exercise, a consistent sleeping pattern and good mental health aids in learning, logical reasoning and critical thinking.
Exercise is also proven to help reduce stress and symptoms of depression. Being active reduces levels of stress hormones in the brain, which can reduce negative thoughts and can help students cope with the daily stressors of academic life.
Illustration: Giovanna Janos
