Wait! Can this Teacher Relate?

 

Being actively fit: benefits you in multiple ways.

By Hayden Hegarty

JRN 100 Staff Writer

According to a study from the National Library of Medicine in 2011, Toni M Burkhalter and Charles H Tillman touched upon the topic of exercise. The study summarized that staying active and eating healthy is beneficial for the brain and for your grades no matter what age you are. Exercise is beneficial for the cognitive state of your well-being, resulting in better focus and better physical health.

In recent years, there has been a rise in working out. Gyms are flooded more now than before the pandemic, and that has to do with the positive effect that exercising not only has on your physical body, but also the mental state of yourself along with your academics.

“I would definitely say that yeah, if I was working out 5-6 times a day and studying, I felt as if I was more focused when studying,” said Lomastro. “As long as you have your timing structured, it is going to be both beneficial and to your studies and you’re weightlifting.”

Michael Lomastro is a former member of the US Marines from 2010-2018, where he served as a member till 2020. Lomastro obtained his undergraduate and graduate degree from PennWest California in 2010. Lomastro specializes in exercise science and nutrition. Lomastro now runs his own physical consultant agency, which he started in 2018, where he helps those who want to exceed expectations for themselves working out.

Exercising has been a topic of discussion as of lately. Often, people go to the gym for the pleasure of working out to feel good about themselves but there are more positive outcomes that staying active has for one’s body.

Humans want to stay active and fit. Being active serves as an enhancer for the cognitive functions that you take in every day, making you wiser, sharper, and overall, more active, and fit.

Studies alone, others have felt a positive impact other than that of the body, from working out.

According to the study, the data suggests that time spent doing physical activities is beneficial for academic performance. Studies show that it does not detract from academic performance but only improves your overall health and function.

A study conducted by the California Department of Education looked at middle schoolers from a sample of 885,000 students.

The study consisted of comparing the students SAT performance and that of the Fitnessgram physical test. Studies showed that those who had higher scores on the fitness test also had higher scores on their math and reading sections of the SAT.  

Apart from the academic performance while working out, the mental well-being is just as important if not more important.

“Proper eating and working out, you’re going to emit certain hormones in your body,” said Lomastro. “You’re going to release endorphins and neurotransmitters that make you feel euphoric, that make you feel better instead of just feeling like crap, mentally.”

Mental health has been on the rise lately, with those suffering from it more than ever.  Being active is arguably one of the best ways to maintain your mental health in a positive way.

“Personally, it was something that I needed for my mental health,” said Marazzi. “I had no outlets outside of basketball and being active. So, for me, being active plays a huge part in my mental health positively.”

Angelina Marazzi is a current basketball coach at Roger Williams University and an avid mental health activist. In her life, she pursued basketball and went to St Anselm College for her freshman year in Goffstown, New Hampshire. She then went onto Fitchburg St University in Fitchburg Massachusetts and finished her student athletic career there. After college, she played overseas in London for the Cardiff Met Archers.

Marazzi has run 2 different mental health programs in her life. She ran one in London called the “Winter Well Being” that was designed for the low-income community that touched upon mental health surrounded with basketball. She currently runs the mental health program for her basketball team at Roger Williams. Mental health plays a critical role in her life.

This connects to the study positively, as Marazzi and Lomastro both agree on the same idea. Staying active is beneficial for positive mental health increase.

The study states that there is a decline in the cognitive state of one’s brain while their physical fitness levels are decreasing. From our interviewees, we can see that while physical fitness levels increase, so does our mental wellbeing.

“Being active and consciously having a healthy lifestyle is going to benefit you in the long run,” said Lomastro. “From what I’ve seen working in my field, having a proper workout regime, is going to have a lasting benefit on your life.”

Marazzi, combined both physical wellbeing and mental wellbeing in one.

“From my past experiences, I do feel as if being physically active has had a positive impact on my mental health,” said Marazzi. “I can see a positive correlation between staying active and physically fit, and my mental health.”

“How I grew up personally, I never had an outlet for anything,” said Marazzi. “Mental health and having emotions were never a thing growing up, so the way I escaped from that was the gym and basketball. I also found myself in a better mindset once I was done completing those tasks.”

Like the study, Marazzi and Lomastro touched upon the same topic as the study.

The study says that physical activity may cause a rise in your cognition state, almost like what Marazzi was touching upon.

Lomastro and Marazzi, even though they come from different circumstances, both see eye to eye and have the same ideas as the study demonstrated.

While the study did say there is a positive correlation between working out and your cognitive functions, it also stated that more rigorous research will be needed to get a deeper answer than we already have.

Staying fit has many more benefits than just working out for physical body performance, but also for your academic performance and cognitive well-being.

Becoming understanding of the many positive impacts that being active has on you, is beneficia for your overall health as a human.