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Hannah Kamps

Miss Schimmel

Senior English

November 3, 2020

Benefits Of A Healthy Lifestyle

In the life of a teenager, sitting on the couch eating food sounds more appealing than

participating in exercise or physical activity. Motivation to get up in the morning to go for a jog,

or come home from a long day of school to try and fit exercise in the schedule is extremely

difficult to find. Therefore, it is vitally important for schools to require physical education and

exercise to all students; not only will it benefit the students academically and physically, but it is

also a time for students to bond.

In today's society the obesities rates are climbing. Although, this may be because of

genetics, it is mostly because people either don’t care, or are uneducated about health and what is

most beneficial for the body. Studies show that a small amount of exercise each day will reduce

risk of heart disease, helps control weight, strengthen bones and muscles, helps to have a clear

mind, increases learning ability, helps mental health, and mood. Strikingly enough only 26.1% of

high school students participate in at least 60 minutes of physical activity per day, and only

29.9% of high school students attended physical education classes daily. Therefore, if physical

education is a required class, students' health would improve and would provide them with good

healthy habits. Let's get into some of the benefits a student will gain.

Not only do students decrease the risk of cancer, heart disease, type two diabetes, high

blood pressure, and obesity with good exercise, but also studies show the increase of better

grades in students in physical education classes. According to the CDC Healthy Schools, higher
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physical activity levels are in direct correlation with improved concentration and memory among

students. Classroom behavior tends to be better because of increased focus to stay on task.

Another study showed that during exercise, the body is stimulated, releasing proteins and other

chemicals that improve that structure and function of the brain, thus leading to better thinking,

learning, and judgment skills. Exercise also releases chemicals that improve mood.(2 CDC).

If the brain is releasing chemicals to help a student to be happier and more relaxed,

exercise makes it more likely for that student to reach out and talk to others. Therefore, exercise

is a great time for students to be involved and create bonds of friendship.This also builds

relationships. It is shown that those who exercise with others report higher satisfaction in a

relationship. ​When the body exercises, it releases hormones such as ​endocannabinoids​ and

endorphins​ which correlate to being in a good mood as stated before.​ Not only that, but physical

exercise also helps deal with stress and decreases the risk of depression. There is a lot of peer

pressure and other academic pressure that is placed on students. Whether it be sports, GPA, or

relationships, this may lead to an excessive amount of stress. However, with daily exercise that

stress will be reduced, making the student feel better and endure high school. Furthermore,

starting students early on the benefits of physical activity, will inspire kids to live a healthier

lifestyle throughout the entirety of life.(2 CDC).

After discussing the many benefits of why physical exercise must be required at schools,

it is easy to see how vitally important it is to attain good healthy exercise. This will in turn

improve mental thinking and acting, reduce risk of certain sickness or diseases, help

relationships grow stronger, and overall help maintain a healthy body.

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