How to maximize your learning with physical activity

It is known that being active improves your wellbeing and the development of both mental and physical health. It is therefore not surprising that it also contributes to improving your performance in school. As a student you are spending a lot of time sitting, especially during the current Covid-19 restrictions. A week full of lectures…

Olivia Kjelkvik Avatar

It is known that being active improves your wellbeing and the development of both mental and physical health. It is therefore not surprising that it also contributes to improving your performance in school. As a student you are spending a lot of time sitting, especially during the current Covid-19 restrictions. A week full of lectures and studies for exams and seminars will result in a lot of hours where your body is inactive. At the same time your brain will process a lot of information and needs time to relax and to absorb the new knowledge.

According to studies by Georg Kuhn, a professor at Gothenburg University, the volume of producing new nerve cells in the hippocampus can be increased by doing aerobic exercise (=cardio training, e.g. running). The hippocampus plays a major role in consolidating information from short-term memory to long-term memory and is therefore very important for learning. So by doing this kind of training, for 30 minutes a day, you can improve your memory, learning and concentration. Aerobic exercise is the most favorable way to create new cells, but of course, all kinds of physical activity are good for your body.

As a new student in Lund, you may not know where to turn to and where to find the perfect place to exercise. There are a lot of different kinds of sports and gyms to choose from. Here are some alternatives for you to begin with:

N Yoga Studio

This place is a very small and cozy yoga studio with a very experienced owner. It has a very friendly and relaxed vibe and they offer many different sessions, e.g., yin yang yoga, moksha inspired yoga, yin yoga, tai chi and vinyasa flow. Each class is between 65 to 90 minutes long and you can participate regardless of if you are a beginner or more experienced.

Allmänna tennisklubben Lund (ATL)

ATL is a very good place to play tennis. On Fridays from 1:00-2:00 pm they offer student tennis. The student tennis welcomes beginners as well as advanced players. Beside the student tennis they also offer a lot of different courses, e.g. advanced, student tennis and A-series.

PDL Center Lund

PDL Center has four paddle courts that can be booked at any time of the day. They offer series games, lunch, and breakfast paddle as well as training groups for all levels. PDL Center has a student discount of 20% of the original price, when booking the courts on Mondays to Fridays between 6:00 am to 4:00 pm or between 10:00 pm to 6:00 am. 

Shape Kickboxing

This material art studio offers a course where you practice every Wednesday and Sunday between 8:00 pm to 9:30 pm. They offer training for beginners and more experienced ones. 

Gym

There are a lot of different alternatives to choose between in Lund, e.g. Gerdahallen, Fitness24Seven, Nordic Wellness or Actic Högevallsbadet. Gerdahallen has the cheapest membership for 12 months, with a cost of 209sek per month. Gerdahallen offers a large number of machines and loose weights on an area of 1450 m². Fitness24Seven is the next cheapest option. Normally the monthly price is 219sek but right now they have an offer with 50% off the first two months. If you want to work out at Nordic wellness you will as a student pay 299sek a month, for gym and group training. Actic Högevallsbadet offers both gym and exercise swimming. The cheapest monthly membership at Actic costs 300sek after the student discount.

If you want to maximize your learning as well as physical and mental health, start training at one of the many opportunities that Lund offers!

About Nådiga Lundtan

Founded in 1948 and has since been an important part of student life in the economics program at Lund University. Nådiga Lundtan covers a wide range of topics related to economics, society, and politics, as well as careers, entrepreneurship, and innovation. It is a platform for students to share their ideas and opinions on economics and related fields.

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