Sunday, December 13, 2009
Final Project-Workout Routines=Higher G.P.A.
Photos by Kyle Salomon
When 18 year old kids make the long awaited journey from high school to college they get their first real experience of freedom. The choices they make can affect many things. The main reason one goes to college is to get an education and improve their chances of succeeding in this world.
There are many different opinions on outside influences and their effects on having a high grade point average. Having a consistent workout routine would seemingly have a negative effect on the GPA but contrary to popular belief it is the opposite. Being physically fit gives one more confidence to take on the world but how in the world could it possibly be good to spend 10 to 15 hours per week working out.
It is actually really simple. When someone trains themselves to have a daily workout routine that they stick to religiously they are a structured person. Structured people are disciplined, motivated, and usually stubborn which means if they get out of their normal daily schedule they won’t like it. This is the main reason for the direct correlation between physical fitness and having a high academic success rate.
Being in several Health and Exercise Science classes I have the real privilege to listen and talk to many professors that know quite a bit about some studies that have proven the link between high GPA’s and working out. “It has been scientifically proven that a consistent workout routine and being physically fit correlate directly with having a high academic performance,” said Health and Exercise Science professor Brandon Uribe.
I am not in anyway saying that if one doesn’t workout on a daily basis and is not physically fit that they are going to make bad grades. I have plenty of friends who are extremely successful in their academic lives and workout zero hours in a week. On the flip side, in no way am I saying that if one has poor grades that if they start working out routinely that automatically their grades will rise. Running two to three miles the day before a test doesn’t mean that one will get a good grade; they must earn that good grade with how much they study and prepare for the exam.
Matt Cox is quite possibly the smartest person I know but he hasn’t run a mile or curled a dumbbell since he has been in college. Although he understands how one might benefit from being physically fit and having a daily workout plan. “I personally don’t workout because I don’t feel like I have to in order to achieve my academic goals. However, I understand not everyone is like me and people need help structuring their time and schedule,” said OU Pre-Med student Matt Cox. “There is no doubt that working out gives you discipline and makes you structure your schedule so instead of sitting on the couch and watching T.V. they would go study.”
Aerobic training is more effective than just the normal weight training because scientists say that aerobic training brings more oxygen to the brain which builds more brain cells and enables the brain to take in more information and process information faster. “I didn’t used to run or ride my bike for long distances but after my freshman year in college I started and my GPA went from a 2.7 to a 3.4 in just two semesters of school,” said Courtney O’Neal who is an HES major.
Having a sustained workout routine isn’t easy to do but once one gets used to the daily grind and becomes accustomed to doing it working out becomes a normal part of everyday life.
Being physically fit makes one a happier person as well. Being able to look in the mirror and like the way you look has a huge impact on the success one has in life. If a person is not happy with themselves than how can they achieve success? There is no way that happiness and success can occur with personal insecurity about one’s physical fitness level. Happiness is also another reason one makes good grades. If someone goes around all the time with no self-esteem then no part of their lives are going to be successful.
What it simply boils down to is for those who are going into college this might be something to take into consideration. I know that working out is not exactly fun most of the time but once one can get a routine then a schedule going it becomes a lifestyle and grades become more important than they used to. There is evidently scientific evidence to prove it and that is more than enough proof for me.
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