As someone who was a former division 1 athlete and has a deep passion and love for fitness, I have come to realize how powerful exercise is and what benefits it can bring. Being a medical student is definitely a challenge that no one is fully prepared for. One thing that has made medical school less stressful however has been working out on a consistent basis. In this article I will be giving 6 reasons every medical student should workout.

Stress reliever

• One of the most critical aspects of being a successful in medical student is and life in general is the ability to manage stress. Exercise and working out for even just 30 minutes can give your brain that reset that it needs to attack the rest of the tasks that the day has to offer.

Mood improvement

• Numerous  studies have pointed to how endogenous levels of endorphins are elevated in response to acute aerobic or anaerobic workouts. You can read one here. With all the immense amount of stress that a medical student goes through, and the overwhelming workload and volume of information that we are responsible, it only seems logical to use any means necessary to reduce the load of some of this stress.

It can make you smarter

• There are many studies that show that physical activity has positive effects on neuronal activity. You can read about one here. As a medical student where you are constantly being evaluated on how well you can perform on tests and on the wards it is paramount that your mental activity is at its peak. You can meet new people
• In addition to the obvious physical benefits that come from Working out, Working out is also a great way to meet new people. In an age where so much communication occurs online it is becoming exceedingly rare to bond with others in person.
• Whether it is a brazilian Jiu Jitsu class, a run club, or lifting weights a few times a week with group, there is  no arguing that engaging in physical fitness is a great way to foster new relationships.
• All of my closest friends today are from playing division 1 soccer in college. There is something about the shared experience of undergoing physical challenges with others that cultivates a very strong bond.

It is cheap

• Working out can be 100% free. You don;t really need to have some fancy gym membership (if you do thats great), or excessive workout equipment. All you really need are some dumbbells, and some workout clothes, and if you are a runner like me then you only need shorts a shirt and shoes. 

Something to look forward to at the end of the day

• There is no better feeling than ending a long day of classes lifting weights,  or doing sprints on a treadmill. In this way Working out serves as a positive reinforcer after long study sessions.

It is a way to train your discipline

• One of my favorite sayings is “How you doing Everything is how you do anything.” This holds true when it comes to the effect that exercise has had on my own life. 
• It says a lot about who you are and what you are able to endure when you have the discipline to  consistently work out and better yourself through physical fitness. 
• Committing yourself daily to physical fitness is not easy there are days when you don’t want to work out or move a muscle. But the more you overcome these feelings, the 
• The more That I run, the more that I force myself to wake up early in the moring to knock out a 7 mile run the more I feel that I am better able to take on all of the stresses and challenges that the day will inevitable bring.