Just keep moving

Two words are enough to infuriate a certain subset of the American public. These words are synonymous for the decline of America. These words are the epitome of why we don’t win anymore: “participation trophy.” To some, participation trophies represent the irrevocable erosion of the exceptionalism that has characterized our nation for generations. The idea that one should reward a child for participating in an athletic event regardless of that child's actual prowess, is simply sacrilege. However, I would argue that encouraging participation in athletics, rather than excellence, is the more important priority for our country.

In all fairness, we kind of have the excellence thing down. In Rio this summer, U.S. athletes took home an astounding 121 medals, the most medals won by a U.S. team in a non-boycotted Olympics. The U.S. women’s basketball team was so dominant that their gold medal win represented their 49th-straight victory. The state of Maryland alone took home so many medals that it would have placed 12th in the medal count if it were a country.

In contrast to our prowess at winning international sporting events, as a nation, we’re not so great at participating in physical activity. The government recommends that adults get at least 150 minutes a week of moderate aerobic exercise or 75 minutes a week of vigorous aerobic exercise, with muscle strengthening exercises two days a week. While vigorous exercise is defined as swimming, running or biking up hills, moderate exercise can include everything from line dancing to gardening. While this may seem like a modest suggestion, only about one in five adults get the recommended amount of physical activity each week.

It’s hard to overstate the benefits of exercise. Exercise seems to have beneficial effects on nearly every facet of the body and improves mental health as well. A study conducted at Duke in the late 1990s found that moderate exercise was effective at reducing depression in older adult males, and that the effect was comparable to taking an antidepressant. Researchers following a group of adults at high risk for Alzheimer’s, found that exercise was protective against atrophy of hippocampus, which is important for proper memory function. Exercise lowers blood pressure and cholesterol, reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease. Compared to those who exercise less than 30 minutes a week, those who exercise seven hours a week have a 40 percent lower risk of dying early.

So, what keeps us, as a nation, from being more active? Not surprisingly, environmental factors play a huge role. Those with lower incomes, less free time, without access to exercise facilities and living in unsafe neighborhoods are less likely to exercise. Clearly, this is one of the many ways that inequities in society manifest as health inequities via the social determinants of health. Socioeconomic disparities, poor urban design and lack of investment in public health infrastructure all contribute to our low rates of physical activity.

Yet one of the more surprising factors associated with being sedentary is the “perception of great effort needed to exercise.” It seems that the perception that exercise must be difficult or intense is enough to dissuade some people from engaging in exercise. When reading studies on the benefits of exercise, it is telling to examine the methodology sections. When the research is examined more closely, it seems that benefits are obtained from very moderate physical activity, which many not even perceive as “exercise.” In the study of patients with increased Alzheimer’s risk, participating in “moderately difficult chores” for 45 minutes three times a week, was enough exercise to gain protective effects. Given these findings, the perception that great effort is needed to exercise is particularly misplaced. Great benefits can be obtained from only moderate activity.

So, the good news is that the bar is pretty low for exercise. You don’t have to be flipping tires or running a sub seven-minute mile to gain really fantastic physical and mental benefits. Which brings me back to those participation trophies. From a health perspective, it doesn’t make a huge difference whether you run or win your neighborhood 5K this weekend. Even walking the 5K, rather than staying home and watching Netflix, is enough confer some major benefits. It seems that those handing out participation trophies are onto something—when it comes to exercise, just by showing up, you win.

College and graduate school are times of change and fluctuation. The previously established outlets for physical activity may no longer be available, and academic demands on time may be greater than ever before. One of the most powerful things that students can do to promote their health and wellness is to keep moving. The good news regarding physical activity is that you do not have to be great. You do not have to even be good. But you really, really need to keep moving.