By: Alison Blake and Karen Gross
A recent article in the New York Times suggested that college student stress levels are so high, they are being allowed to bring pets to live with them on campus. It is true: animals can help and many students comment that what they miss most about home is their pets (true, not their parents). But, there are a myriad of issues with pets: allergies, clean-up, fear from some other students, responsibilities. These can be overcome but, here’s another approach to addressing the growing needs of students on America’s campuses that is less expensive, less problematic and less burdensome.
The challenges facing students (both athletes and non-athletes) today are multifaceted: psychological, social, academic and physical. College life and its pressures can give way to stress, depression, weight gain, and musculoskeletal issues. Who hasn’t heard about the “freshman 15,” among other issues? Campuses have tried a host of interventions ranging from healthier food options to meditation sessions to tutoring centers to stress management seminars to pre-exam massages. Yoga and other fitness efforts have been tried as well. We are not suggesting that these approaches (including pets as needed) be abandoned. We recognize that all these approaches emanate from different segments of the campus (academics; student life; athletics), and these initiatives often do not engage the very students who could benefit the most.
What if there was a solution that involved something that could be placed in the dorm room of every residential college student (at relative low cost) that could be used for five minutes daily and produce positive results for many students? It sounds like an infomercial, right? Or, it sounds like we are hawking a product we developed. Not so.
Before disclosing this possible solution, which clearly needs to be tested out on a pilot basis with quality empiricism on some campuses (any volunteers?), we need to understand at least some of what is contributing to the students’ stress, weight gain and depression. And, we recognize that, for some students, these issues are deep seeded and not addressed by this proffered “solution.” Naïve we are not.
First, we know there are negative effects to prolonged sitting, and students sit a lot – in classrooms, in friends’ rooms, on their bed, in a lab or library or common room hunched over a computer. Stated most simply, sitting is bad for you. As reported by journalist James Vlahos, sitting reduces muscular activation so the body burns less calories and our metabolism slows down. Blood circulation slows and those “feel good hormones” can’t move around ably, which increases the likelihood of experiencing depression.
Why do you think there are so many standing desks these days (although they are relatively expensive and not generally available on campuses)? Recently we have even seen the introduction of “bike desks”.
Add this: too much sitting means the body can’t breakdown fat and cholesterol in the blood. As the work of Marc Hamilton (an inactivity researcher!) shows, insulin effectiveness drops, so we’re not able to uptake glucose as well, which can lead to sugar cravings and increased risk for obesity and Type II diabetes. No wonder students are turning to foods high in fat, salt, and sugar when they need a study break. Add in the fact that many students are lacking sleep and over-consuming caffeinated beverages, among other drinks.
Let’s just say, in sum, that we are not enabling our students to exercise their bodies enough. And, we delink the effect this has on brain function, information uptake and overall health. As Dr. Herb Benson noted decades ago, there is without question a mind-body connection. Sadly, we often leave organized physical fitness for athletes. And, athletic departments are often charged with participating in programs to promote the wellness of all students.
So, here’s the idea: every student should be given at the start of their first year at a college or university (yes, given) a 12 inch “foam roller.” It should be on their beds in the residential halls, ideally in the school colors. For those not familiar with these rollers, here’s a picture….
Then, there are three exercises that can be completed in five minutes, all designed to help our sitting students. For the record, it appears the rollers can be purchased in bulk by educational institutions for under $4.00 each (tax free too).
Exercise 1: Snow Angels
Lie on the foam roller with it positioned so your head and neck are supported. Stretch your arms out to a “T” with your palms facing up and let the back of your hands fall to floor. You should feel a stretch throughout your chest, shoulders, and arms. Slowly circle your arms up and down as if you are lying in the snow making “snow angels”. Complete 10 repetitions.
Exercise 2: Pumping up the Peripheral Heart
Prop yourself up on your arms with your legs extended in front of you with one ankle stacked over the other on top of the foam roller. Lift your hips to apply pressure to the calf muscle and slowly roll up and down at a rate of one inch per second. Perform 10 repetitions. Repeat for opposite leg.
Exercise 3: Ironing out the Pleats
Get into an “army-crawl” position with the tops of the thighs resting on the foam roller and forearms pressed into the floor. Roll the entire length of the quadriceps, from just above the knee all the way up to the hip and back down again. Complete 10 repetitions.
And how would students maximize the benefits of these myofascial release techniques? They should think of this acronym: BASC (as in “bask” in stress relief): breathe, abdominals engaged, shoulders away from ears and chin tucked down. If students just took a five-minute study break at some point in the day, they would feel better; ideally, they’d do the exercises for five minutes per hour sitting.
We need to test the effectiveness of this approach. Consider a pilot at your institution. One group of first year students would get the rollers and another group would not, all randomly selected. The results between the two groups could be measured at the end of a semester – both physical and psychological well-being. We believe the results should show that the students with the rollers (regressing for other variables) will have less weight gain, higher academic achievement, less stress, lower rates of depression, and fewer aches and pains. Quite the possible result for under $4.00! To be sure, one roller will not fix the profound issues that ail higher education. But, rollers can’t hurt and their presence on campuses in abundance might just message the importance of physical well-being — something that can be carried into the workforce post-graduation. In short, it’s time to roll….
About Alison Blake
Alison Blake is certified personal trainer by NASM (national academy of sports medicine) with a B.S. in Sport and Recreation Management from Temple University. She has experience working with athletes and college students. She is also certified in Myofascial Compression Techniques (MCT) through Trigger Point Performance Therapy (TPPT). She works in Washington, DC.
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