More time in the gym could raise your GPA 

Finals are just around the corner and with the onslaught of tests, projects and papers comes stress. But it might not be too late to turn that GPA around, without pulling an all-nighter. In a new study released in USA Today by Purdue University, researchers found that visiting the gym is correlated with a higher GPA.

The study found those who worked out four times a week have an average GPA of 3.2, compared to an average of 3.1 for those don’t work out. Elon’s Department chair of Health and Human Performances Resa Walch agrees.

“There is a lot of research around the cognitive benefits of exercise… there are a lot of things triggered in a body when a person is physically fit or when they reach their target heart rate. Some of those things that are triggered are certainly related to the brain, recall, following things from short-term memory to long-term memory.”

Elon Senior and group exercise instructor Bridget Creel says working out keeps her active and gives her a sense of purpose.

“On days I don’t exercise are days that I am lazy, essentially days that I don’t feel like doing anything and that goes with homework,” said Creel. “I never regret a workout. No one walks out of the gym and goes: darn I’m really sad that I just did that.”

Ginette Archinal, Elon’s Medical Director of Student Health, says exercising is key to an overall improvement of your health.

“We know if you exercise regularly, you sleep better, we know your mood is better,” said Archinal. “It improves your energy, your sense of well-being and therefore your ability to focus on everything that’s important in life.”

Next time feel like hitting your head against the wall while studying, think about hitting the treadmill instead.