By Marco Sarkovich
Incorporating Exercise in One’s Schedule
Regular exercise has long been held as the key to a healthier life: increasing one’s natural energy levels and even adding years to one’s life. However, the benefits of exercise go deeper than just physical betterment. Studies show that consistent exercise also provides significant mental health benefits, which can be very beneficial for law students and lawyers given the demands of legal work.
As a law student, I would often find it difficult to allocate time for physical activity. Law students are hard-pressed for free time because the requirements of a typical school workload can be demanding and include reading cases, drafting memos and other papers, studying for exams, or working a part-time job. Furthermore, law students often live a sedentary lifestyle, spending much of their time studying, conducting research or writing—all while sitting down.
The easiest way to incorporate exercise into your daily schedule is to start early. Beginning your morning with a workout can yield drastic benefits, often kick-starting your day and enhancing your productivity. Morning exercise provides a boost of endorphins, making you feel more optimistic and positive throughout the day. Furthermore, these workouts do not need to be intense. Simply jogging or walking will stimulate blood flow, increasing the flow of oxygen and nutrients to your body, providing an energy boost to start your day!
If you are not a morning person, then I recommend allocating time at the end of the day for a workout, preferably immediately after classes or work. This is a crucial period because once you are home and comfortable, it is difficult to summon the energy to exercise. Again, the workout does not need to be intense; simply going on a jog around the neighborhood yields significant benefits.
Integrating exercise into your day can also be accomplished with little choices throughout the day. For instance, skip the elevator and take the stairs; workout while watching TV; or even go on a walk during lunch. Incorporating exercise into your daily routine does not need to be burdensome. Law students instead can make simple adjustments to their daily routine. These changes can help law students maintain a healthy lifestyle throughout their time in law school and can extend into their time as a lawyer.
The Benefits of Exercise
Routine exercise enhances cognitive function, an essential skill for both law students and lawyers. Regular physical activity improves memory retention and slows the natural aging process of the brain. This is because exercise increases your heart rate, boosting the flow of blood and oxygen to your brain. More oxygen and blood to the brain leads to neurogenesis, or the production of neurons, in components of your brain, such as the hippocampus, that controls memory and thinking. This increase of the neuron reserve of the hippocampus improves memory function, which is also important for law students and lawyers. Many other studies demonstrate that exercise increases one’s ability to learn new tasks, recall facts and memories, and cope with stress—all of which are crucial for law students and lawyers.
Another benefit of habitual exercise is its effect on our emotions, particularly making us feel happier. This is because exercise increases sensitivity for the hormones serotonin and norepinephrine, which alleviate feelings of depression. Additionally, exercise increases the production of endorphins, a hormone responsible for the production of positive feelings. The mental health of law students and lawyers is also important and physical activity can help support mental health.
An interesting fact is that the intensity of the exercise does not matter. You can benefit from exercise regardless of the intensity. All of these benefits can combat the adverse effects of stress and give you a sense of command over your body and work life!
Final Thought
Professional responsibility rules require that lawyers provide competent legal services and this means that lawyers and future lawyers should do their best to practice a healthy lifestyle, which includes good physical and mental health. The physical and mental health of law students and lawyers is often ignored due to the intense workload, however if a routine is maintained, law students and lawyers can reap the benefits of not only being fit, but perform their legal tasks at their very best.
Marco Sarkovich, J.D. Candidate at the University of San Diego School of Law.