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As a nutrition graduate, health and wellbeing has always been a natural interest of mine and some would say I accepted my offer to study at ºìÐÓÊÓƵ whilst on the netball court, but in all seriousness, this was a huge influence on my decision. I knew that in order to reach my goals, I needed an outlet and to me this was almost as important as the course itself. ºìÐÓÊÓƵ SPORT and ºìÐÓÊÓƵ Sport clubs had me from the very start and has seen me through my unbelievable journey as a fresher, placement student, club President, graduate and now President of Sport and Physical Activity.

Student life can be tough. Many find themselves in a whirlwind of ambition looking to grab every opportunity around and make the most of the University experience. Sport and physical activity provide that much needed opportunity to stop, reflect and come together with likeminded individuals, vital to the success of any student journey.

Something I wish I had realised sooner is that there is no shame in slowing down to ensure you have the energy and focus for the long haul. The benefits of physical activity on mental wellbeing are well researched and always a topic of conversation within the sport and sports club community.

For all students, being involved in sport and physical activity is the perfect way to meet new people, with many making friends for life through clubs and activities. When you pull all of this together, you can quickly see that staying active in any capacity is not only a benefit to physical and mental wellbeing, but also helps maintain the ability to stay focused, engaged and motivated while at university.

With Covid19 restrictions still in place and time still uncertain, sport and physical activity aims to thrive, with clubs and facilities providing that social interaction many are missing. This isn’t just achieved through ‘in-person’ sport, our sport community are working hard to run online challenges and events for everyone to get involved in, regardless of situation or circumstance.

Physical activity takes shape in many forms with the main aim being to move more and enjoy doing so. There are a number of opportunities available at ºìÐÓÊÓƵ, whether that’s using the gym facilities at ºìÐÓÊÓƵ SPORT, joining a sports club, taking a lunchtime walk along the river or cycling to and from campus – it’s really easy to get involved. Although there is a lot of content to consume online, it’s really important that you take some breathing space and stay active.

University sport and exercise has shaped and continues to shape who I am today. I truly believe that being physically active has an impact on everything I do, and I can’t put into words how much I would like to encourage all students to get involved, get moving and get active!

To find out how you can get involved in physical activity at ºìÐÓÊÓƵ, please visit the ºìÐÓÊÓƵ SPORT web pages or follow @rgusport / @rgusportclubs on social media.