Introduction
Physical well-being recognizes the need for caring for your body to stay healthy now and in the future. Individuals who practice physical well-being apply knowledge about exercise, nutrition, fitness, healthy eating habits, and personal hygiene into their daily routines.
Characteristics of Physical Wellness:
- Exercises safely and regularly
- Knowledge of nutritional information
- Balanced diet
- Maintaining regular sleeping patterns
- Managing stress through using healthy strategies
- Practicing healthy hygiene habits
- Regular visits to Student Health Services or your own health care provider
- Staying aware of personal health
- Avoids drugs, such as tobacco, that hinder physical health and limiting alcohol consumption
Evaluate Your Physical Activity – Complete Survey for a Chance to Win a MUSC Promotional Prize
Share your story with us on what you already do that contributes to your physical well-being and why it is beneficial to you. At the end of each month, we will draw from the submissions and award multiple MUSC Promotional Prizes (e.g. water bottle, beach towel, yoga mat)!
Useful Resources
Benefits of Physical Activity - Beyond the Beach Bod
Regular physical activity can help you to look great, but it can also do so much more! According to the 2018 Physical Activity Guidelines Advisory Committee Scientific Report released by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, physically active individuals sleep better, feel better and function better. To further break down highlights of the report [A2-A4]:
- Strong evidence demonstrates that moderate-to-vigorous physical activity improves the quality of sleep. It does so by reducing the length of time it takes to go to sleep and reducing the time one is awake after going to sleep and before arising in the morning. It also can increase the time in deep sleep and reduce daytime sleepiness.
- Single episodes of physical activity promote acute improvements in executive function for a period of time. Executive function includes the processes of the brain that help organize daily activities and plan for the future. Tasks such as one’s ability to plan and organize, self-monitor and inhibit or facilitate behaviors, initiate tasks, and control emotions all are part of executive function. Physical activity also improves other components of cognition, including memory, processing speed, attention, and academic performance.
- Regular physical activity not only reduces the risk of clinical depression but reduces depressive symptoms among people both with and without clinical depression. Physical activity can reduce the severity of those symptoms whether one has only a few or many.
- Regular physical activity reduces symptoms of anxiety, including both chronic levels of anxiety as well as the acute feelings of anxiety felt by many individuals from time to time.
- Strong evidence also demonstrates that perceived quality of life is improved by regular physical activity.
- Physical activity improves physical function among individuals of all ages, enabling them to conduct their daily lives with energy and without undue fatigue.
- Physical activity reduces the risk of a large number of diseases and conditions
Some benefits happen immediately. A single bout of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity will reduce blood pressure, improve insulin sensitivity, improve sleep, reduce anxiety symptoms, and improve cognition on the day that it is performed. Most of these improvements become even larger with the regular performance of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. Other benefits, such as disease risk reduction and physical function, accrue within days to weeks after adopting a new physical activity routine [A-3].
With all the benefits that can be gained from reaching the national fitness guidelines set by many governing organizations such as the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and the Center forDisease Control (CDC), one would assume that it would be a "no brainer" to reach that goal. However, half of the U.S. population does not currently attain this level of physical activity [A-4].
The MUSC student population also mirrors this statistic. According to the most recent MUSC Student Satisfaction Survey, less than half of our student body reported reaching the recommended activity levels defined by the ASCM.
Back to TopPhysical Activity Guidelines – ACSM and CDC
The ACSM (and CDC) National Fitness Guidelines recommend that all healthy adults aged 18-65 should participate in at least 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity each week. Your challenge, should you choose to accept it, is to achieve that amount of physical activity for at least 4 consecutive weeks. It can be helpful to keep track of your progress through various means such a journal, daily log or digital tracker.
Activities of moderate intensity are measured by how heart rate and breathing are affected. Typically, an average adult performs moderate activity at 50-60% of their max heart rate, and the activity can be performed while talking but not singing. Examples include:
- Leisurely walking or biking
- Recreational or lower intensity sports
- Slower paced dancing
- Gardening, light yard work or home cleaning
- Low impact aerobic exercise
- Any activity of equal exertion
Activities of vigorous intensity are measured by how heart rate and breathing are affected. Typically, an average adult performs vigorous activity at 70-85% of their max heart rate, and they would not speak more than a few words without pausing for a breath. Examples include:
- Running, jogging or hiking
- Swimming laps
- Competitive or higher intensity sports (basketball, soccer, tennis)
- Faster paced dancing
- Weight training or carrying heavy loads
- High impact circuit exercise
- Any activity of equal exertion
Note: In the 150 minute total, 1 minute of vigorous activity is equal to 2 minutes of moderate activity (i.e. 30 minutes of vigorous activity equals 60 minutes towards your weekly totals)
Avoiding Sedentary Studying
Fact: Exercise promotes brain function. The following video features Dr. John J. Ratey, an Associate Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, talking about the benefits of exercise on brain function.
The next time you have a long study session try incorporating exercise into your routine. Alicia O’Connor, Director of Personal Training at the MUSC Wellness Center has put together a series of exercises called the Everyday Desk Workout that you can utilize.
At least once during your study session, choose any 5-8 exercises/stretches from below. Strive to do 3 sets of 10-15 repetitions for each exercise; for stretches, do 3 sets of each by holding in place for 15-20 seconds. Be sure to rest in between sets.
Many of these exercises can be maximized with a resistance band; if you need one, contact the MUSC Wellness Center and inquire about getting a free resistance band (while supplies last).
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