Students Who Exercise Regularly Have Higher GPAs

Purdue University, College Students Working Out at Campus Gyms Get Better Grades:

College students who visit their campus gyms are more likely to succeed in the classroom, according to data from Purdue University.

"Students who worked out at Purdue's gym at least once a week were more likely to earn a higher grade point average than students who visited less or not at all," says Tricia Zelaya, assistant director for student development and assessment at Purdue's Division of Recreational Sports. "Going to the gym is so much more than going to the gym. Students who are motivated by fitness and wellness tend to have better time management skills, and research shows that being fit is good for the mind. It all ties together."

For example, the more than 1,820 students who visit Purdue's France A. Córdova Recreational Sports Center at least 16 times a month earned a GPA of 3.10 or higher. The correlation between grades and gym use also is shown with moderate users. Students who used the gym at least seven times a month had an average GPA of 3.06. The average GPA for students who did not regularly use the gym was a 2.81.

(Hat Tip: Inside Higher Ed.)