Dissertation

Exercise in College Aged Women and Academic Success

Exercise has been found to decrease weight, improve sleep patterns and in general, to lead to an active and healthy lifestyle (Mayo Clinic, 2014). Along with the physical improvements that exercise can have, there are other benefits, including increased academic performance. There is a large volume of research that looks at the benefits of exercise on academic performance. Taras (2005), Trudeau and Shephard (2008) and Singh et al. (2012) have compiled reviews of the literature thoroughly investigating the relationship between physical activity and academic performance. They have concluded that there is a positive connection between the two. Other researchers have concluded that exercise contributes to other factors in academic success, such as concentration and memory. However, there is minimal research that reflects upon the experiences of college-aged students who engage in physical activity. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to understand the experiences of college-aged female students who participated in an exercise intervention program titled Exercise for Academic Success and Excellence (EASE). Eleven female participants engaged in the EASE program for approximately 12 weeks. The participants were directed to exercise for 150 minutes a week and submit weekly logs recording their experiences regarding exercise and academic performance during the duration of the intervention. The participants perceived physical, cognitive and emotional benefits and enhanced academic performance, regardless of grade point average increases. The students who experienced the most benefits, particularly in GPA were the students who met the minimum requirement to exercise (150 minutes per week). These trends imply that an on-campus exercise program that students are held accountable for may have prompted improvements in their academic success.

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