By: Quinn O’Brien, Manning School of Business Well-Being Leader

“Move it, and lose it.” A very simple quote that has a wide range of meaning. It can apply to many things, both positive and negative, but for me, it’s a powerful reminder about well-being.

As I reflect on this semester, I’m thinking about both my highs and lows. It’s always easier to focus on the lows, but it’s just as important to recognize your accomplishments and give yourself credit. When I looked at the low points in my semester, one main pattern stood out: I was more dormant during those times. One thing that is very important for my well-being is making sure I’m moving and working out.

That’s where the quote “Move it, and lose it” comes in. For me, it means that when I’m stressed with school, I need to stay disciplined and focus on the things that make me feel good and improve my lifestyle. In the chaos of life, it can be hard to remember what works best for you. I notice direct benefits from moving my body; It’s scientifically proven that physical activity lowers stress. “When I move my body, I lose stress.” I use this quote as a reminder.

As early as I can remember, working out has played an important role in my everyday life. It boosts my mood and helps me manage ADHD and anxiety. In elementary school, I even had a counselor and a special education teacher who let me do pushups in their office. That helped me immensely and taught me early on that movement is more than just exercise, it’s regulation.

Fast forward to now: I still build movement breaks and workouts into my day. But staying consistent in college can be difficult. There’s freedom, stress, and a lot of work. I notice that when I don’t move my body, my focus and mood are completely off. After even one week of not moving as much, I can feel a huge difference in how I think and feel.

So, how can a college student practice “Move it, and lose it”?

This is the hard part, figuring out how to implement movement into daily life. It can feel intimidating, but movement doesn’t have to be an intense workout. It can be a walk, a few functional movements, or a quick bodyweight circuit. Sometimes when I feel an urge to release energy, I do stationary workouts. It might be 30 seconds or an hour, whatever time I have. It gives me an immediate release and helps me refocus on what I’m doing.

Below 2024 research done on “The effect of physical activity on depression: a lagged mediation study of school burnout”: ‘

https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-024-21003-9?utm_source=