Dr. Jason Metz, Assistant Professor of Exercise Physiology, published a video on Topper Station regarding exercise medicine and its various benefits, presented by his students Claudia Cubides and Brianna Hendershot. Specifically focusing on immune response and its importance in the ongoing pandemic, the video also goes over facts such as how long you should spend exercising per week along with the physiological and psychological benefits that accompany it.

During the clip, Cubides and Hendershot give tips and tricks on how to involve exercise into activities of daily living while including some advice on starting small, making it into a game or social activity and rewarding yourself. The pair also explain how enduring stressful times without engaging in physical activities can lead to a much weaker immune system. The video discusses how exercising can increase the production of multiple different kinds of white blood cells, including b-cells, neutrophils and macrophages.

They went on to mention important aspects to remember when training by stating that exercise is a stressor and too much or too little can be harmful. Some activities, like running and competitive sports, have a higher risk of musculoskeletal injuries or MSI.

With COVID-19 hindering travel to the gym and affecting mental health, exercise has been an easy task to skip over. West Liberty University (WLU) exercise physiology student, Kacey Klein, stressed the impact of videos like this being released because working out has become a formidable task for some with repetitive quarantining and outbreaks. “If it could inspire just one person to get up and move, and that person inspired three more, the chain won’t end. We can work together to motivate each other and create a healthier atmosphere.” He elaborated on this by saying that you don’t need a gym or specific equipment to get some exercise in, just a drive to be active.

Like Klein’s statement, student Taylor Bolinger has struggled to find the time for the gym between work and classes, relying on her physically demanding serving job to burn calories. Bolinger said the following when questioned about her opinion on the video, “It really helped me realize how much exercise can do for the body – and I definitely won’t be skipping out anymore. Our campus offers lots of events, like self-defense class and Zumba, so I can’t deny not having the opportunities.”

For more information, please contact Dr. Jason Metz.