Research Guides: Active Bodies/Active Minds Initiative : Active Bodies/Active Minds Initative

Active Bodies/Active Minds Initiative

Mission: Encourage physical and psychological wellbeing for students by utilizing library resources, services, and spaces.

Goals:

Provide a place for students with kinesthetic learning styles to have a welcoming place to study and learn.
Provide an inclusive learning environment to support our diverse student population's study and learning needs.
Relieve stress and boost productivity.
Promote holistic wellness and mindfulness lifestyle.
Harness the power of NEAT (non-exercise thermogenesis) in order to reduce sedentary behavior, improve overall wellness, and encourage spontaneous physical activity (fidgeting).

This inclusive learning environment will support our diverse student population’s study and learning needs, while also improving their focus and concentration and reducing stress.

This page features links to peer reviewed articles that show the positive influence of exercise on the cognitive process.

Peer-reviewed articles showing the positive influence of exercise on the cognitive process.

Regular Physical Activity, Short-Term Exercise, Mental Health, and Well-Being Among University Students: The Results of an Online and a Laboratory Study
Short-term aerobic exercise interventions may be more effective in promoting the mental health and well-being of students than cognitive interventions are. Therefore, low- to moderate-intensity exercise (e.g., as the one used in the present study) should be incorporated into daily university schedules.
Effect of university students’ sedentary behavior on stress, anxiety, and depression
Stress, anxiety, and depression are serious mental health problems among college student groups. The sedentary behavior of college students was found to be significantly related to their psychological problems in the present study.
A Translational Approach to the Mind-Brain-Body Connection
Mental and physical health are closely tied, and a deeper understanding of how the mind, brain, and body are connected has the potential to substantially improve health outcomes.
Give your ideas some legs: The positive effect of walking on creative thinking.
Four experiments demonstrate that walking boosts creative ideation in real time and shortly after.
Evaluating the impact of a short bout of stair-climbing on creative thinking in a between-subjects pretest posttest comparison study
This study highlights the substantial impact of brief, very light-intensity physical activity, exemplified by two-flight stair-climbing, on augmenting convergent thinking, demonstrating its practical relevance and efficacy in daily life. Contrary to the prevalent emphasis on higher-intensity activities for cognitive benefits, our findings suggest that very light-intensity activities may also offer significant advantages, especially for convergent thinking.
Ten Reasons Why You Should Walk and How to Get Started!
Today's sitting is yesterday's smoking! Physical activity is vitally important to your health, but you don't need to join a gym or take an exercise class, you can simply go for a walk!