Give yourself Grace: Why daily movement is key to your transition to home from uni

If you had a smartwatch attached to your wrist as you clicked on this page and scrolled down to start reading this article, you’re probably more familiar than other readers with what it’s about. Or maybe the phone you’re reading it on has some sort of health app that tracks your steps. If so, you can join the club too. Ever noticed how when uni holidays start, your average steps go down the drain? If you’re a humanities or arts student, you might have also noticed that your average flights climbed plummets too. (That’s because – you guessed it – you don’t have to go to the FAB for classes every week). And no matter what course you study, if you’re part of a sports club or any active society, the holidays likely put a huge dent in the amount of movement you’re getting in on a daily basis.

Transitioning away from uni means it can be much harder to build a summertime routine that gives you the benefits of movement and exercise. This is because you’re also transitioning away from sports, activities, on-foot commutes and floor five of the Library. You might not have access to a gym or green spaces at home. You also might not be making the journey up the Leamington Parade to Wetherspoons twice a week…

An active commute gets your body into a daily routine, and this helps your brain remember to zone in

So why does all this matter? Well (and I’m sure you’ve never heard this one before), movement is really good for you. As students, we’re especially prone to sitting in one position for hours on end trying to write an essay, put together a project, or learn a difficult new concept. An active commute gets your body into a daily routine, and this helps your brain remember to zone in when you get to your classes. Movement between classrooms, your favourite lunch spot, and home gives you much-needed breaks from work by getting out of your mind and into your body. Exercise in general is also great for your mood, because it releases endorphins (which get you feeling ‘on a high’), and boosts dopamine (the pleasure/satisfaction hormone). I don’t know about you, but my head always feels clearer after some movement.

So, now that you know why it’s good for you, you need to know how to get the same benefits from home. First, I’d advise just taking a look at the structure of your days and weeks at uni. Is there a specific time you had to walk every day, or a training session that happened weekly, or a coffee meet-up with friends that was a little bit further out of the way? Try and schedule in similar times for your movement at home to get the same benefits of a movement-based routine. This will also make it easier for you to maintain your daily movement habit once you go back to full-time studying.

Make an effort to incorporate movement into your plans

Second, if you’re using this summer period to catch up with friends and family you’ve missed, make an effort to incorporate movement into your plans. Walk to a local place for lunch instead of driving, explore local parks/hiking trails, try a sports taster session if you have access to a leisure centre near you.

Third, if you’re working during summer, consider taking your lunch break outside or grabbing something from a deli further away than usual. If you’re studying, consider using a 45-15 structure where the 15 minute break is some kind of movement. Remember, this doesn’t have to be sprints up and down your road or a 15-min-ab-blast (although if that’s your thing, go for it!). Even getting out of your desk chair and doing a few standing stretches can really help make you feel better. It’s also really good if what you’re studying requires active recall, as you’ll be able to come back and test yourself after your break!

Summertime can take some getting used to, but you deserve to look after yourself and your body. This can be much harder when you’re not surrounded by Warwick’s wellbeing support and your uni life, but I hope you find something valuable in these little tips.