Get moving to calm your mind: a student’s guide to exercise

If life is life-ing, here’s the tea: exercise is one of the best ways to keep your mind thriving and not just surviving. Breaking a sweat isn’t just about looking good in your gym selfies—although, bonus, it’s also the ultimate hack for levelling up your mental health.

Say hey to endorphins

Ever heard of the “runner’s high”? It’s not just for the marathon lovers. Exercise releases endorphins—AKA, your brain’s happy mood boosters. They help you feel less stressed and can even make you sleep better—erm yes plz! A quick gym sesh, a brisk walk, or even a random TikTok dance break counts.

Stress relief on a student budget

Uni life can be stressful. There are deadlines, group projects, and a flatmate who always steals your oat milk. Luckily, exercise is a great stress buster.

PureGym has student-friendly memberships that won’t wreck your budget with flexible hours for those 9 p.m. “I-need-to-de-stress” moments—heyyy up to 30% Off fixed term memberships!

Don’t forget to level up with MyProtein’s affordable fitness gear and supplements, from resistance bands to protein shakes for that post-workout ✨glow✨.

Feed your mind

The brain 🤝 body are BFFs, so what you eat matters too. Snacks are life, but balancing them with a few mood-boosting options can make a big difference. Hit up Holland & Barrett for stress-busting teas, vitamin D tablets (essential for those grey lecture days), or Omega-3s for focus.

Get tracking

Not sure where to start? The Thymia app can help you keep tabs on your mental health— see it as a mental fitness tracker. Paired with workouts, you’ll actually see how sweating it out can help with your mental health.

Make it social

Exercise doesn’t have to be a solo thing. Join a uni sports team, go to a group class at PureGym, or drag your flatmates out for a hike. Even walking to grab a MyProtein snack bar counts. It’s about moving more and making it fun.

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