Written by Zoe Manoukian
January and February can be a difficult part of the winter season. The days are still gloomy and the excitement of pulling out our turtlenecks and wool socks is gradually melting away. For those of us who struggle during this time, it is important to ensure that we are practicing habits that lend themselves best to maintaining a healthy mind. One such habit is physical exercise.
Retrospectively, so much of my health education from primary school to college emphasized exercise’s ability to help one lose weight or gain muscle, and I believe that it is imperative that we shift our focus to the positive effects that exercise can have on the mind. While having a healthy body is important, holistic health is unachievable without a healthy mind, and having a stable mentality trumps having a bikini body.
Exercise is an obvious step to take when feeling lethargic or unmotivated, but understandably, it is an extraordinarily onerous initiative to act on when feeling these ways. Thus, it can be crucial to find an activity that you enjoy. If you feel more motivated when working out with other people, it can be a good idea too to find a group of friends or peers with whom you can exercise. Physical activity can manifest in many forms, and is not limited to the weight room or the track.
At Roanoke College, we have the privilege of being surrounded by over 600 miles of hiking trails, and utilising this natural beauty can be an excellent way to move and absorb fresh air. It doesn’t matter how you decide to fit exercise into your routine as long as you are doing so safely and in a way that fits your needs.
