A&C
‘I FEEL BETTER INSIDE’
PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH AT THE REC The Rec Center located on the University of Oregon’s campus. (Kevin Wang/ Daily Emerald)
BY SAMMY PIEROTTI • TWITTER @SAMMYPIEROTTI
With the Rec Center fully open again, students and staff talk about the destressing benefits of exercising on campus. Physical and mental health are thoroughly linked, whether the average gym-goer realizes it or not. The CDC explains that stress, specifically COVID-19 related stress, can cause difficulty concentrating, anger and sadness and even physical pains like headaches and body aches. It lists exercise as a coping mechanism to deal with stress, along with eating well-balanced meals and meditation. Although not all mental health problems can be solved so easily, exercise is a great first step to take. Finding your own routine
Liam Okeefe looks outside as he uses exercice equipment in the REC center. (Will Geschke/Emerald)
UO sophomore Noah Sommerlad believes his physical and mental health “are intrinsically linked.” “One can’t be good without the other being good,” he said. Sommerlad does multiple activities at the Rec — rotating between yoga, rock climbing and weight lifting. He uses his music and mood to help guide his workout plan. “If I’m feeling angry I’ll listen to my 90s Rage Against The Machine, and if I’m pumped up I’ll listen to a bunch of different rap,” he said. “It’s kind of just natural biologically that I feel better after I work out,” Sommerlad said. “Your body is producing adrenaline and endorphins while you exercise.” Sommerlad is completely correct; although
exercise physically works a person’s muscles, it can also do wonders as a relieving mechanism for one’s mental stress. Harvard Health published an article explaining that “exercise reduces levels of the body's stress hormones, such as adrenaline and cortisol. It also stimulates the production of endorphins, chemicals in the brain that are the body's natural painkillers and mood elevators.” In other words, the chemicals your body produces during exercise improve your mood. “If I work out, I feel better inside,” UO senior Maryam Ali said. “It’s something to do, so it’s like I got a task done for the day.” Ali usually attends the Rec with a friend where they rotate between routines focused on either their arms, legs or abs. They always finish their workout with 30 minutes on the treadmill, she said. “[Going to the Rec] takes your mind off the stress of school,” Ali said. “It gives you something else to do besides just looking at books and your screen.” James Degrange, a junior at UO and recent transfer student, just started getting back into his workout routine. He played football at his old school and would exercise with the team. “After I transferred, I kind of lost all motivation to do it, especially with the pandemic,” Degrange said. “In some ways, my mental health was good because I grew up [in Eugene] and I’m back home, but not having that consistent exercise kind of increased
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