HANOI UNIVERSITY

ENGLISH FOR SPECIFIC PURPOSES DEPARTMENT

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

THE EFFECTS OF EXERCISE IN

COLLEGE STUDENTS

Teacher: Le Thuy Dung

Student: Le Phuong Anh
Dang Thu Ngan
Class: 2TC-22ACN
Date: 1/6/2023

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 ABSTRACT

The development of science and technology along with modern lifestyle has made the habit of
walking and manual labor of people almost disappear. Inactivity has put people in serious
danger to health and is becoming a great threat to humanity in the future. According to a recent
scientific study published in the journal The Lancet (UK), about one-third of adults around the
world suffer from a "disease" of inactivity, resulting in 5.3 million deaths each year and Vietnam
is one of the 10 most sedentary countries in the world. According to information published in
The Lancet, if a person does not do light physical activity for 30 minutes/5 times a week and
intense physical activity 20 minutes/3 times a week, or a combination of the two forms of
exercise above, is considered to be in a state of inactivity. Lack of exercise leads to a series of
dangerous diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, obesity, breast cancer, colon cancer...
Researchers have assessed the danger of inactivity as being equivalent to obesity. and smoking,
and if the world could reduce the proportion of inactive people by 10%, it would prevent the
deaths of more than 500,000 people a year. With the advent of many electronic devices such as
desktop computers, laptops, smartphones and other electronic devices, which It is also the
foundation for social networking applications to be born and developed to bring convenience,
many advantages for people to help people easily connect, communicate and perform
information search, news updates, flexible working, effective and convenient learning Profits of
buying and selling goods and services quickly,… .But beside of those amenities, comfort, people
in general and especially young people in particular is almost absorbed by that fascination. As a
result, we gradually become passive, afraid to face challenges, with hardships and hardships in
which typical The most obvious is the exercise habits of each person. Therefore, this study was
conducted with the aim of providing information on trends, reasons and positive effects of
exercise habits on college students. The research was done by surveying through the form with
all students. The study has shown the fact that students have a habit of exercising regularly and
the factors that have the strongest impact on the intensity and productivity. of exercise. At the
same time, it points out the positive factors of regular exercise.

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS
Abstract.................................................................................................................................ii
List of figures........................................................................................................................iv
1. Introduction..............................................................................................................1
2. Method......................................................................................................................1
3. Results.......................................................................................................................2
4. Discussion of results.................................................................................................4
4.1: Reasons for students not being able to form the habit of exercising.
4.2: Positive effects of regular exercise.
5. Recommendations
....................................................................................................................................
5
6. Conclusion.................................................................................................................5
References.............................................................................................................................6
Appendices............................................................................................................................7

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 LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1: The percentage of students who think that exercise is important or not...........................
Figure 2: The percentage of frequency of doing exercise in students..............................................
Figure 3: The percentage of students who think barriers prevent them from exercising.................

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 1. Introduction.

It is generally accepted that exercising is necessary for leading a healthy lifestyle. One of the
most crucial things a person can do to lower the likelihood of illness is exercise, along with
healthy eating. Regular exercise lowers the risk of diseases like dementia and depression as well
as conditions of the brain like cancer, diabetes, liver and kidney disease, obesity, and
osteoporosis (Wilson, 2010). The definition of exercise given by Zeblisky (2019) is "a physical
activity that is planned, structured, and repetitive for the purpose of conditioning any part of the
body used to improve health and maintain fitness." Exercise can be done in a variety of settings
and in a variety of ways. According to Buckworth and Nigg (2004), people choose an activity
based on access the effort required to obtain it—and motivation—the activity's reinforcing
benefits.
Students at college, in particular, have a variety of obstacles to physical exercise, such as lack of
personal autonomy, time restraints, and financial limits. Sadly, according to Buckworth & Nigg
(2004), these circumstances encourage college students to have rather inactive lifestyles. Taking
responsibility for their own health and life decisions has risen and changed for college students.
This is especially true for first-year students, who are leaving home and gaining autonomy for
the first time, and who must decide for themselves to engage in healthy activities (Butler, Black,
Blue, & Gretebeck, 2004). Furthermore, students have a busy schedule. Students must devote a
lot of time to studying and finishing their schoolwork in order to succeed (Buckworth & Nigg,
2004). The research by Buckworth and Nigg from 2004 found that students in college spend
13.25 hours per week studying. Many college students use their laptops for extra time to watch
television or conduct online searches (Buckworth & Nigg, 2004). According to research by
Buckworth and Nigg from 2004, students watched television or used computers for an average of
16.52 hours each week. Such a sedentary way of living is bad for college students and is a major
factor in the phenomenon known as the "Freshman 15." This is a reference to the typical weight
gain students experience in their first year of college, which is brought on by both an increase in
the consumption of unhealthy foods and a sedentary lifestyle (Butler et al., 2004, Hodge,
Jackson, & Sullivan, 1993). Exercise promotes students' mental health in addition to their
physical health (Manley, 1997; Pascoe & Parker, 2019; Snedden et al., 2019). Students can
manage their stress by exercising in a positive way. By relieving stress, you can keep your brain
and mind at peace. Students can socialize with like-minded individuals while exercising in
community and school gyms. Therefore, exercise may lessen sadness and anxiety since it
provides students with a group of people to chat to about everyday problems. Examining the
health-related activities of college students is crucial since research indicates that early-life habits
are more likely to be maintained throughout one's lifetime (Sallis, 2009; Stone, McKenzie, Welk,
& Booth, 1998; "Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System Data").
Bearing this in mind, this research paper which is based on data from different students all over
Hanoi will focus on clarifying three main questions. Firstly, what are the barriers that students
have to exercise? Secondly, does exercise have positive effects on students? And last but not
least, how can we balance work and life, and improve the spirit of regular exercise and sports?

2. Methods
The data in this report is collected from a survey carried out in many different universities in
Hanoi. Forty students are randomly selected to fill in the questionnaires which have eight
questions. Firstly, “a group test of physical level” was created in order to assess the level of

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physical ability among students based on the frequency they do exercises. Secondly, the last 3
questions were set

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up to determine student's effects and barriers they faced when in their colleges. It also includes a
scaled question to find out students' primary reasons for exercise in their daily life. The main aim
is to investigate further into students’ thoughts about exercise as well as the role of physical
management in students' academic life.

3. Results.
This section outlines the results of the survey conducted to discover Hanoi students' opinions of
doing exercise. Of the 40 students who were questioned, 85% of respondents reported that they
believe that exercising plays an important role in both physical and mental aspects. With 15%
being neutral, it suggests that they perceive exercise as having no impact on their daily lives.
However, they fail to recognize that this perspective is only immediate and short-term. It's also
possible that if they weren't engaged in physical exercise, they would have other activities that
require physical exertion, such as part-time jobs or volunteering.

Figure 1: The percentage of students who think that exercise is important or not

The majority of students agree with the viewpoint as shown in figure 1, and their thinking aligns
with the frequency of physical activity. Figure 2 illustrates the percentages from 27,5% to 30%
of each time frame spent on physical activity, which are relatively balanced. Although the time
spent on physical activity may vary, when surveyed, the majority of students tend to choose
outdoor physical activities, such as walking, cycling, running or sport games like soccer,
badminton, basketball, etc. Instead of indoor activities: weightlifting, gym, pillates or
adventurous sports like hiking, diving, etc. This indicates that students still make an effort to
incorporate exercise into their routines, often combining it with commuting to university or part-
time jobs. This allows them to efficiently and effectively allocate time for physical activity while
being mindful of their schedules.

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 Figure 2: The percentage of frequency of doing exercise in students

Figure 3: The percentage of students who think barriers prevent them from exercising

Among all the students surveyed, the majority of them face barriers to engaging in physical
exercise. Looking at figure 3, 77% and 47.5% respectively cite lack of time and lack of
motivation as the two most significant reasons hindering their participation in sports. These are
the primary factors that impede their ability to engage in physical activity.
As mentioned earlier, the interruption of physical exercise due to lack of time is because students
allocate their time to other physical activities, it may be intertwined with the personal
commitments of each student outside of class hours, such as part-time jobs or other
responsibilities. Additionally, academic pressure is also a contributing factor. Students often face
high academic expectations, especially during exam periods or demanding courses that require
significant focus. The need to allocate a substantial amount of time for studying can reduce the
available time for engaging in physical exercise.

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The second barrier to hinder students from engaging in physical exercise is a lack of motivation.
Lack of motivation and interest in participating in sports is another contributing factor. Students
may not perceive the value and benefits of engaging in physical activities, and as a result, they
do not invest time and effort into pursuing them.
Of all interviewees asked, they agreed completely that exercise plays an important part in
students' academic life. Additionally, some useful ways to do away with barriers are also
suggested which will be mentioned in the Discussion section.
4. Discussion.
4.1: Reasons for students not being able to form the habit of exercising.
From the results shown in Figure 2, it can be concluded that the amount of time that students
spend on physical training is very little. This result is not unexpected, because “most students
today can play a lot of phones, play games, do homework, study for exams a lot, but the time is
spent exercising and playing sports very little”.(Dang Chung, 2019) and according to the results
of the survey of university students in Figure 3, most of the obstacles preventing students from
exercising regularly is due to lack of time. A trend that was also reported in “ Balance between
Academics and Cocurricular activities” : “If the academic work is too heavy or activity or co-
curricular is too many then I will skip, I may skip the exercise”, a 2022 blogs. This number is up
to 77.5%, accounting for the highest percentage of the obstacles that students are facing in
building physical habits. At the same time, up to 30% of students only have about 1-3
hours/week (Figure 2) to be able to exercise to the highest level while exercising “ “Adults and
older adults are recommended to do a minimum of 150 min moderate-intensity or 75 min
vigorous-intensity aerobic activity or their equivalent combination per week, and muscle-
strengthening activities.”
On the other hand, the lack of motivation is also a factor that makes university students hesitate
to build their own daily physical activity habits. This result is clearly shown in Figure 3, this
factor accounts for 47.5%. of the total number of obstacles college students face. Motivation is
an extremely important factor contributing to the process of forming exercise habits. However,
some students now tend to “I’m lazy, I’d rather waste time watching stories on my laptop than
exercise”., “Because if I exercise in the morning, um…I’m lazy to wake up in the morning ,
“These days I rather sit down rather than walk and do exercise”… reported in “Change in
physical activity from adolescence to early adulthood” a 2019 article by Corder. The rest will be
a few other factors like : lack of access to exercise facilities (15%) , physical limitations or health
concerns ( 10%) , lack of knowledge about effective (12,5%)… they are also shown in Figure 3:
The percentage of students who think barriers prevent them from exercising.
4.2: Positive effects of regular exercise.
The benefits of daily exercise are undeniable exercise slows down the aging process, increases
longevity. After a lot of research, for many years, people have come to the conclusion that
participating in a sport regularly will help increase life expectancy and slow down the aging
process. human aging process. Exercise slows down the aging of cells, helping us stay younger
and live longer. Regular exercise will help people reduce depression, enhance memory,
concentration and the ability to absorb new knowledge. In addition, exercise also slows down the

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degeneration of the brain, helping to prevent Alzheimer's disease (dementia in the elderly).
Exercise helps relieve chronic diseases. People with serious and chronic diseases such as
diabetes, heart failure... can improve their health status with exercise habits. People who
regularly exercise every day, even if it's just walking for a few minutes, have a stronger recovery
rate than the rest. Regular exercise will help people be happier Regular exercise will stimulate
the body to produce hormones that are beneficial to the brain, help reduce pain, stress and
improve human mood. Not only has many physical benefits, regular exercise also helps a lot in
improving people's mental health and is good for people with psychological diseases. Exercise is
good for beauty. Movement improves blood circulation, provides oxygen and essential nutrients
to nourish the skin, making the skin smoother, more ruddy. In addition, it also works to heal
wounds faster. Regular exercise will help toned the body, prevent overweight and obesity, keep
our figure slim and healthy.

5.Recommendations
As mentioned in the result section, almost all of those asked said that they are willing to do
exercise but do not have enough time and lack of motivation. Because of its key role, this part
discusses some useful suggestions in order to help students to fix their barriers effectively and
make it like a tiny passion.
Firstly, it is “Creating a Reasonable Schedule”: students should consider their class schedule and
free time to identify suitable time slots for engaging in sports activities. Set specific goals and
prioritize time for physical activities as an integral part of the daily schedule. Secondly, “Seeking
External Motivation”: when lacking motivation for sports, seek support from friends, family, or
individuals with similar goals. Forming a sports group or finding a workout buddy to engage in
physical activities together can be beneficial. The support and encouragement from those around
you can help maintain motivation and feel more accountable for exercising. Finally, the idea can
be referred to as: “Harnessing Technology”. Utilize mobile applications or websites dedicated to
sports and fitness, as they can provide support and motivation. There are numerous apps and
websites available that offer various workouts, training schedules, and diverse exercise
programs. You can find fresh inspiration and track your progress through these technologies.
According to Phuong Anh, 2TC-22, Students should allocate 30 minutes each day for sports
activities. For example, they can search on YouTube for channels dedicated to sports such as
Emi Wong or Chloe Ting. These channels provide scientifically-backed and time-efficient
workout videos for students to engage in physical activities. By doing some simple tips, it will
help college students maintain balance in life, which is a crucial step to improve their health.

6. Conclusion
Overall, the awareness of college students regarding the importance of physical exercise is quite
good. This assumption is based on the results of a survey, which showed that the majority of
students believe that exercising brings numerous benefits to individuals. However, they
encounter various barriers such as time constraints and lack of motivation to engage in physical
exercise. The impact of this situation has both negative and positive aspects, which are reflected
in the students' daily lives.
Owing to the breadth of this issue as opposed to the limited scale of this paper, we cannot cover
all details. What we try to convey in this research is to equip Hanoi students with necessary
knowledge of the effects of exercise. Hopefully, future researchers can investigate further into

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this topic in terms of the negative effects on students when they have lack of time or motivation
to do exercise in colleges.

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Barnekow‐Bergkvist, M., Hedberg, G., Janlert, U., & Jansson, E. (1996). Physical
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 https://doi.org/10.1007/s13167-011-0090-1)

APPENDICES

The affects of exercise in college students

Hello. We are Thu Ngan & Phuong Anh, students from 2TC-22 Class of ESPD Major, Hanoi
University. We are currently conducting a research project on "The effects of exercise in college
students". This questionnaire is specifically designed to collect data and statistics for our
research paper. All personal information will be kept confidential and the data will be used for
research purposes only.
We highly appreciate your valuable responses.
Thank you for lending a hand and have a great day!

1. What year are you in?

 Freshman
 Sophomore
 Junior
 Senior
2. Your gender is...?
 Male
 Female

3. How would you rate your overall level of physical activity?

 Very active
 Moderately active
 Not very active
 Sedentary (little to no physical activity)

4. On average, how many hours per week do you spend exercising? Less than 1 hour
 1-3 hours
 4-6 hours
 More than 6 hours
 I don't exercise regularly

5. Do you believe exercise plays an important role in your life ?

 Agree
 Neutral
 Disagree

6. What are the primary reasons for exercising regularly? *

 Weight management
 Improved physical fitness
 Stress reduction
 Social interaction

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  Overall well-being

7. What types of exercise do you engage in regularly? (Select all that apply)
 Cardiovascular exercises (e.g., running, cycling)
 Strength training (e.g., weightlifting, resistance training)
 Group fitness classes (e.g., pillates, yoga)
 Sports (e.g., basketball, soccer)
 Walking or hiking

8. Are there any barriers that prevent you from exercising more frequently?
 Lack of time
 Lack of motivation
 Lack of access to exercise facilities
 Physical limitations or health concerns
 Lack of knowledge about effective exercises
 No barriers, I exercise as much as I want to