Hi friends!
Happy Spring! With
the nice weather becoming more and more frequent, we wanted to tell everyone
the benefits physical activity has on your mental health. There are many ways
to be physically active in Stevens Point as well! We will be listing a couple
different ways to stay active in the community and on campus in Stevens Point.
Here are a couple
different ways that physical activity helps your mental health…
- Can treat mild to moderate
depression: Exercise
has the same effect as an antidepressant medication without all of the
side effects. Studies show that if you run for 15 minutes a day or walk
for an hour it decreases the risk of major depression by 26%.
- Relieves tension and stress: Exercise releases endorphins, which
reduce feelings of pain and a boost of
pleasure, in the brain, as well as helps relax the muscles and
ease the tension in your body built up by stress.
- Reduces symptoms of ADHD: Exercise helps increase your
concentration, motivation, memory, and mood. It works the same way ADHD
medication would.
- Helps with PTSD and trauma: Helps get your immune system
“unstuck” which helps to immobilize the stress responses that are
associated with PTSD.
Here’s the link to
the website we used if you want to read more about how physical activity helps
your mental health.
https://www.helpguide.org/articles/healthy-living/the-mental-health-benefits-of-exercise.htm
UWSP has many
options for students and staff to be physically active on a daily basis. Here
are some free resources to look into to jumpstart to your physically active
lifestyle!
- Aquatics
Center -
Free Open Swim (Monday & Thursday 11am - 1pm, Sunday - Thursday 7pm -
9:30pm)
- Group
Exercise (GroupEx) -
Free workout classes run by our very own UWSP students ranging from yoga,
Zumba, cycling, and more!
- Open
Recreation at MAC -
Students and staff have access to the track, basketball courts, tennis
courts, as well as the climbing wall! Be sure to look on the campus website
or Facebook page for more information.
- Schmeeckle
Reserve -
Our 280-acre conservatory area on campus with 5 miles of trails and
boardwalks, a 24-acre lake, and so much wildlife to discover!
- Green
Circle Trail -
A 27-mile hiking and biking trail that loops Stevens Point. Perfect for
getting outdoors and getting your steps in, as well as exploring
nature!
We hope all of
these tips and tricks will help you become and stay physically active as you
increase your mental health along the way!
By Kaden Manternach
and Eryn Murphy