Why You Should Exercise Before Studying, According to Science

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Before you sit down to study or get started on a big project for work, you might want to consider hitting the gym or taking a brisk walk. Besides just generally being good for your health, research also shows it can actually help with cognition. And with, say, the start of a new semester bearing down upon you or a work deadline looming, anything that can give you a brain boost is likely welcome.

What the research says about exercise and studying

There’s no shortage of solid, peer-reviewed research on the effect of exercise on cognition, going back decades. There's just a shortage on explanations. The exact reasons that exercise helps thinking aren’t fully understood, but one 2018 review in Frontiers in Psychology discusses evidence that it may increase blood flow to the brain, boost levels of certain neurotransmitters, and increase your feelings of control and self-esteem. Purely anecdotally, I think that's true. When I leave the gym in the morning, I feel like I've already accomplished something and tend to be a little more of a go-getter at work, riding my smug little wave to continue the day's productive streak.

Another review, from 2013, notes that “more active” individuals are better able to pay attention to their surroundings and process information more quickly. Exercise may even change our brains for the long term; the 2018 review concluded that “chronic aerobic exercise is associated with potent structural and functional neuroplastic changes, with an improvement in cognitive functions.”

What exercises work best for your brain?

The research is pro-exercise in all forms, but especially hones in on acute aerobic exercise—or the kind of exercise where you’re moving around a lot and your heart rate is up. A “single bout” of this kind of movement is related to improved cognitive functions, according to the researchers in Frontiers.

So, before you sit down to study, plan your week, or have an important conversation with your boss, consider swimming, biking, jogging, running, hopping on the elliptical, or taking a brisk walk around the block. You want to get in some solid cardio here, even if it is as simple as biking to work or taking your lunch break at the gym. (Here’s a guide to how much exercise you need each week, in general.)

How to make time to work out

I know it's hard to find time to work out, especially if you're a stressed-out student—but that makes it all the more important you do carve out some time for taking care of your body, regardless of the effect it has on your mind. Taking into account that it could make you a better student, it practically becomes non-negotiable.

If getting to the gym, the bike path, or the rec center truly isn't feasible, there is plenty you can do from the comfort of home or your dorm room. Since we're looking to get the heart rate up here, focus on cardio, to the extent possible in your space. YouTube is full of great follow-along workout videos that can get blood pumping, for instance. I'd also recommend having a designated workout app to guide you. I'm partial to Peloton's app, but while that app has all kinds of class types from cycling to walking to yoga, it can also cost up to $44 a month, making it a little difficult to maintain for a student. As a free alternative, you can try Nike Training Club, which has similar classes you can follow along with from home. Check with your university's student center about what's available, too. Schools offer all kinds of wellness-focused resources, from fitness apps to on-campus recreational centers. In grad school, I taught spin classes in my university's rec center that were free for other students to attend—and, true to the research, I always noticed a little cognitive boost when I did it right before class.

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