How Fitness Helped My Mental Health in University

University can be exciting. Meeting new people, overcoming challenges, and new dependence and adulthood. But no one really prepares you for the pressure, loneliness, or the emotional weight that can come with it. I did not expect my mental health to suffer, but it did. I reached a point where I felt the weight of everything. My academics, my finances, and my self-esteem. That is when I discovered something unexpected: fitness became my escape, my therapy, and eventually, my healing.

My First Step

At first, I did not even call it fitness. I just started stretching for 5 minutes when I woke up, then it became short walks. Then I shifted my focus to 10-minute workouts that I found on YouTube, and slowly, my mind began to breathe again.

What Changed for Me Mentally

Fitness gave me structure. A short workout in the morning gave me a reason to get up and show up even when I did not feel like it. It built my confidence. I felt stronger, not just physically, but emotionally as well. Moving helped me release emotions I had no words for. I started creating a routine, which gave me a rhythm in a chaotic time. Lastly, it made me feel in control; in a world where so much felt uncertain, I had this.

What I Did Without Spending a Cent

Since I could not afford the gym as a student, I got creative. I used YouTube channels like MadFit, Bongiwe Gumede, and other creators that I look up to. I turned my room into a mini gym, using a towel as a mat. I used water bottles as dumbbells, and I followed dance workouts. As funny as it may sound, it helped to get my heart pumping and my mood lifted. Sometimes I went for a walk to reset my mind, but it would not be too late in the afternoon since I was walking alone as a young female, and I did not feel safe.

Tips For Students Struggling Like I Was

If you are feeling low, stuck, or disconnected, here are five easy steps that can help you get started:

• Start with 5-minute exercises; seriously, that’s enough.

• Make it fun: Dance, stretch, or do yoga, whatever makes you feel good and is something easy, so you will stay consistent.

• Don’t pressure yourself: you don’t have to “get fit,” you just must move.

• Pair it with music: a good playlist may lift your mood.

• Remember: You are not lazy. You are burned out, and that’s okay.

You do not need a gym or expensive clothes. You just need a little movement and a little love toward yourself. Fitness did not magically solve everything for me, but it opened the door. It reminded me that I have power, even on the hardest days. If you are reading this and struggling too, you are not alone. And maybe, just maybe, moving your body might help you find your way back to your mind.