Yu-Lin en Paul
Yu-Lin and Paul are students and roommates. They both have a Radboud Sport & Culture subscription and regularly exercise together. Usually they go to the gym, but sometimes they do something else. This is possible because the subscription includes over 80 different sports and cultural activities which you can all try. In this edition of 'Get moving!' you can read what Yu-Lin and Paul like about sports and what being active can do for students.
“Exercising together is fun. You can discuss all kinds of things while taking care of yourself. You also motivate each other to go, which always helps.”
Mental benefits
Joris Hermans, head of Radboud Sport & Culture, confirms the above statement by Yu-Lin and Paul: 'Sport and exercise provide connection with others. If everyone does what they like, you are generally with people with whom you have something in common and you quickly feel at ease. In addition, sport and exercise have an impact on your mental health. From the moment you start exercising, various biochemical processes in your body will start. One of those processes is the production of endorphins, which make you feel happier. An additional effect of exercise is that your resilience also increases. You become fitter and can easier deal with setbacks. In short: thanks to exercise you feel better.'
Better learning performance
Sports and exercise can also have a positive impact on your learning performance. Research into this effect is ongoing, but Joris emphasizes that more and more is known about the different elements. 'We see that exercise has positive effects on executive functions, such as decision-making. It is also known that regular exercise can increase the speed of processing information. While short-term exercise interventions can lead to an improvement in cognitive functions, we see that long-term exercise can also improve school performance. Various studies have already shown that sport and exercise reduce the risk of not finishing your education.'
Active possibilities
The advantage for students is that at Radboud University, like at many other universities, opportunities for sports and exercise are part of the offer. In addition to Radboud Sport & Culture offering more than eighty different activities, the Gymnasion is home to 38 student sports associations and 19 student cultural associations. “That shows that here you are encouraged to spend time on sport, exercise and culture,” says Joris. 'Find an activity that appeals to you and ask others to join. Being active together is fun and healthy for several reasons! If what you would like to do is missing from our offer, please let us know. Then we will see if we can organize it.’
Get moving too
With over 80 activities, extensive opening hours and professional guidance, Radboud Sport & Culture offers a wide range of exercise and relaxation possibilities for everyone! You can try out lots of new things and there's always something that suits you. Your vitality and well-being are worth working on! See the possibilities and get moving.