Patrick's guide to staying healthy with exercise

11 April 2022

Hi, my name’s Patrick and I'm a second-year student studying a Bachelor of Game Design and Development at Macquarie.

patrick standing infront of trees

I wanted to share with you all my own experience with exercise, how it helps improve my mental health, and how it can possibly help yours.

For a little over a year now, I’ve been exercising nearly every morning at 8 am. It gives me the opportunity to sharpen my mind and prepare myself for the day ahead.

During my first year, most of my day would be spent in front of a computer, studying away. Not only would I get bored, tired, and procrastinate, but my body would also get sore from the lack of movement. This is where exercise helped me, and I also believe it can help you too.

Benefits of exercise

No matter the amount, the simple act of moving around not only helps to improve your mood but can also enhance your sleep quality, increase self-esteem and expel negative thoughts. Exercise acts as a distraction and an outlet for the frustrations you may be feeling.

As for how often you should exercise, that’s up to you and your schedule. Any amount of exercise is helpful and beneficial, but experts suggest at least 30 minutes of exercise across 5 sessions a week can make a significant difference.

Physical activities

As for what activities you could do to stay healthy, there are no restrictions! These can even include simple activities like:

  • Standing up from your desk, stretching and walking away from your screen or book, and walk around your house.
  • Walking or jogging around your local Suburb.
  • Going to your local gym (exactly what I do and also provides me the opportunity to socialise and get to know others).
  • Exercising at home (home gym).

If you are on campus, Macquarie University also provides many services allowing you to exercise and enhance your physical and mental health. These include:

Whenever you feel tired or frustrated from studying, why not think about passing the time by exercising? Try it and see the difference it will have on your health, mind, and marks.