All you need is sport
- Details
- Published on Tuesday, 27 September 2011 07:34
- Written by Zaid Gamieldien
By now we are all acquainted with the bothers of university life. Stress inflicted by a combination of irregular sleeping patterns, late-night studying, early classes, bad eating habits and pre-exam hysteria can all overshadow our carefree experience of campus. All this can be traced back to an underlying problem among students: physical inactivity.
With all this stress eating away at our morale, the body needs to break free of the shackles of academia, and the only way out is the hard way. Physical activity can work wonders for the student. Regular exercise has been shown to boost energy levels and provide clarity of mind. Simple activities, such as jogging, can improve cardiovascular fitness. This stress-relieving practice relaxes our mental processing and gives students the self-confidence needed to actively participate in academic and social spheres.
As UCT students, we are blessed with a sloping, multi-levelled campus, where getting from one lecture to another might, for the fainthearted, constitute exercise. However, we are also blessed to be able to be members of various sports clubs which can accommodate different sporting interests.
In an attempt to stay active, students can get involved in internal leagues of rugby, soccer, cricket, hockey, netball and others. A great way to ensure regular exercise and enlarge your circle of friends is to join a sports club; mandatory practice sessions and coaching are sure to eliminate any excuse for laziness. However, if the physicality of these sports is too much of a burden on your academic life, you can use this opportunity to explore lesser-known sporting activities on offer. Capoeira and judo, for example, can add an invigorating experience to your usual schedule.
This is, however, easier said than done. Many students find it difficult to commit to a sports club.
“I honestly would love to participate in internal sports more often, but it’s almost impossible to enjoy a healthy, active lifestyle, with a good academic one. There’s just no time,” claims Business Science student Munier Albertus. He goes on to recommend joining UCT’s indoor soccer league, which is much easier on the clock. “All I do is head down to the Sports Centre during meridian and play a game for about fifteen minutes, and then it’s back to class. It’s really refreshing.”
Other students find alternative ways of keeping fit, which includes cycling or taking a long walk or run to campus in the mornings. These are great ways of waking up the body and mind before a busy day, provided you are in the vicinity of a shower. Fighting stress in the gym and plunging into a swimming pool for an hour or so are also popular fitness choices.
The important thing is to enjoy exercising, as it serves as a means of escaping the harsh realities of essays, presentations and exams. So instead of feeding your brain every free period, visit the gym, take up a sport, or go for a quick run.