ABSTRACT
The benefit of exercise and the dangers of inactivity were first described around 2,500 years ago by Hippocrates, a well-respected physician in Ancient Greece. Many studies and articles about exercise all reach the same overarching conclusions: Exercising is very good for you, and inactivity is very bad for you (Ruegsegger & Booth, 2018). Human bodies are built to move. Mark Tarnopolsky, a genetic metabolic neurologist at McMaster University, stated that “if there were a drug that could do for human health everything that exercise can, it would likely be the most valuable pharmaceutical ever developed” (Oaklander, 2016, para. 7). Unfortunately, many people don’t appreciate the impact of regular physical activity, including how critical it is for learning and memory. According to the CDC (2021), three out of every four adults in the United States do not reach the minimum guidelines for aerobic and muscle-strengthening exercises. The good news is that you can adopt a lifelong pattern right now. Researchers have noted that 80% to 85% of adults maintain the physical activity patterns they established as a student in their senior year of college (Sparling, 2003). That means college is the perfect time to establish a solid exercise routine.
