Mental health bolstered by Rec Sports and Fitness

As the short, dark days of winter come around and the familiar Montana cold sets in, maintaining your mental health can become a challenge. The plethora of research available on the subject maintains that your mental health can be affected by the winter season. Anxiety, depression and Seasonal Affective Disorder are just some of the mental health issues that can crop up or be exacerbated by the colder and darker days. While there are many ways to improve your mental health, one widely common recommendation is exercise.

According to Dominic Wu, a writer for the Harvard Health Blog, exercise not only functions as an outlet for stress, it can also facilitate the release of endorphins. Mayo Clinic also says exercise can ease symptoms of depression and anxiety and can also lead to increases in overall confidence and positive social interactions. 

MSU provides a wide variety of opportunities for its students to get active and keep up their mental health. Abbey Holm, assistant director of MSU’s Rec Sports and Fitness, listed a few of the services offered. 

“[Rec Sports and Fitness] offer a variety of ways to be active, through all aspects of wellness,” she said. “We offer programs and services such as group fitness classes, as well as intramural and club sports. “We also offer one-on-one personal training sessions,” Holm said. A good deal of these services and spaces are offered in the North Dome, which Holm described as a “fun, high-energy environment.” 

Holm also detailed some of the benefits students can glean from physical activity. “It can help in all aspects of life. People can make friends, continue to work on their wellness, both physically and mentally,” Holm said. 

Holm also believes in exercise’s ability to help combat the toll that school work can take. “In a college setting, it’s a great balance for academics. It’s a stress reliever,” Holm said.

A great option for students looking to get active are the Activity Classes for Credit (ACT). 

“They’re one credit classes that students can take,” Holm said, “They range from team sports like soccer or basketball to more aerobic based, to a slew of outdoor classes that are off the hook popular.” 

There certainly is a wide variety of ACT classes available, with diverse offerings as volleyball, alpine skiing, bowling, yoga, wilderness survival, ice climbing and many more. “It’s a tie from wellness to academics. It’s a way for students to expand their college life and not only get a degree, but to learn new skills. It’s a great balance from the books to get some exercise,” Holm said. 

Keeping up on positive mental health habits is important. Consider stopping by the gym for a quick workout every now and again, or even signing up for an activity class. The benefits will almost undoubtedly be worth it. You can find the schedule for the Group Fitness classes on the MSU website and the full recreational sports and fitness page there as well.