There are plenty of ways to be successful during high school; academically and athletically. Whether it be children, teenagers, or adults a multitude of studies have consistently demonstrated that those who are more prone to being physically active tend to remain healthier and are even more likely to be able to perform better on tests of cerebral or intellectual ability. And some studies even indicate that the results are keen and prompt, even a quick 5-minute walk can help to yield immediate results.

While some college athletes experience difficulty balancing the responsibilities of their sport with all the responsibilities of their academics, many student athletes actually find that the high degree of organization required to accomplish both of the responsibilities leads them to be highly successful in both areas!

Some studies even show that the more exercise one gets, then the higher one’s mental faculties and cerebral performance tends to be! But, the picture is still somewhat more complicated when it comes to college students who are also serious athletes. When high-level athletes must also obtain the name of a high-level student their performance is no longer that of a single grade on a test or a paper, but that of a college degree that ultimately leads to a career.

It has been scientifically demonstrated that physical exercise is greatly related with most mental agility. A 2010 article from the Washington Post from John J. Ratey, a Harvard University psychiatrist who incorporated a multitude amount of research for his 2008 published book, “Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain”. In his book Ratey describes taking multiple MRI scans of inactive people’s brains who have suddenly improved their fitness for some type of reason – and increased their volume in the hippocampus (a region of the brain that is mainly focused with memory and learning!), frontal, and temporal lobes. These are the regions of the brain associated with cognitive functioning.

Learn more about the benefits of being heavily involved in both academics and sports.