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Students find regular physical activity plays significant role in mental health Olivia Garcia, Staff Writer, and Jane Clark, Staff Writer
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unior Sarah Roberts participates in St. Mark’s varsity cheer, varsity swimming and JV lacrosse. She exercises outside of these sports regularly, running with her dad and doing yoga classes. Without this regular physical activity, Roberts notices a loss of energy and motivation. “It was hard at the beginning of the pandemic when there were no sports. I’ve been in organized sports for so long that without it I felt sluggish and unmotivated to get stuff done,” Roberts said. For Roberts, sports act not just as exercise but also a mental break from school work and the stress that comes along with it. “I focus better on my homework when I’ve worked out and it’s a good way to take a break from school because it can be all-consuming at times,” Roberts said. According to the CDC, regular physical activity sharpens your levels of learning, thinking and judgment skills. It also reduces risk of depression, anxiety and sleeping difficulties. Coach Adaku Ebeniro teaches half of the sophomore health classes. One major emphasis of the class is keeping not just your body, but also your mind healthy. Ebeniro recommends exercising 30-60 minutes a day five times a
week to maintain regular physical activity which benefits your mental health. “Physical activity does wonders for your mental health but primarily releases endorphins that improve your mood and increase eustress, the good kind of stress,” Ebeniro said. Ebeniro teaches that any exercises encouraging breathing and focus prove to be effective. “Even a 10-minute yoga session or 20-minute HIT (High Intensity Interval Training) class can do wonders for your mood,” Ebeniro said. Sophomore Sarah Connolly participates in cheer with Roberts, plays on the varsity soccer team and runs track. Like Roberts, Connolly has noticed the connection between physical activity and productivity. “It is really hard for me to focus my energy on school work right away, so being able to go outside, be with other girls and enjoy the weather takes my mind off of school which helps me get my work done more productively when I get home from sports,” Connolly said. Others have commented on the difference in Connolly’s mental health when she is more physically active. “My mom often points out that when I am
To Listen or Not to Listen: Self-care podcasts Libby Hill, Photo Editor
It was the beginning of quarantine when my podcast obsession began. Sick of listening to the same songs, I clicked on the Podcast app on my phone. Instantly, I loved them. On my walks, while driving and even while getting dressed for the day, there’s a friendly voice in the background. I listened to some of the best mental health podcasts for advice and meditations, and some were better than others. Here’s the scoop.
participating in a sport that I am a lot more productive and focused on my school work and I just seem a lot livelier in general,” Connolly said. According to the Mental Health Foundation, physical activity plays a role in preventing mental health problems while improving quality of life for people who do experience these problems. Junior Leena Mehendale, who participates in varsity and club soccer, cross country and track, said reducing physical activity affects her school work, and in turn causes even more stress, negatively impacting her mental health. “Even though I have more time when I’m not playing sports, it feels like I am less productive and less efficient in all of my work,” Mehendale said. “Then that starts to stress me out and it kind of spirals from there.” To avoid this excessive stress, Mehendale recommends physical activity that suits each student as an individual. “There are so many ways of exercising, you can find a way of working out that you enjoy and if you stick with that, it will definitely make you a lot happier,” Mehendale said.
Anything Goes with Emma Chamberlain You know her, you love her and her Youtube videos. Her podcast certainly doesn’t disappoint. Emma is very vulnerable and open with her own struggles with anxiety and gives realistic advice from someone who has “really been there.” Most episodes are around an hour or so, but it flew by!
5/5
Radio Headspace
NPR’s Life Kit
Sleep With Me
Since every episode is about five minutes long, this podcast is the perfect quick mental reset (and the host has a British accent!!) There are over 200 episodes to choose from, and I loved the two episodes I listened to: “Appreciate the journey” and “Have you felt your feelings?” I just wish they had more variety for free, but you have to subscribe to their app for that.
I often worry about not having specific life skills to handle what life throws my way (current or future) — this is where this podcast comes in. Each episode lasts about 20 minutes, and they bring in experts on a variety of subjects. Anything from “Tackling Imposter Syndrome” to “How to Relax More and Work Less” to “How to improve your credit score.” Most of the current episodes are tailored to the pandemic, too — which I love.
I had really high hopes for this podcast — a nighttime story I could listen to that would calm me down before I fell asleep. But when I started to listen one night, there were very few positives. Firstly, the narrator has a bad voice (sorry), an advertisement started playing during my story, and they need to cut to the chase a bit more. Each episode is about 75 minutes long, and it takes 10 minutes for him to get into the story! Overall, I was sorely disappointed.
3.5/5
5/5
1/5
