It’s always inspiring to walk into the gym during the first week of school and see that every piece of equipment is taken by students bent on staying fit and healthy. It’s also incredibly frustrating, since I have to wait those extra five minutes for my favorite elliptical on the third floor.

Then September slowly dwindles into October, and I no longer have to wait for my favorite elliptical on the first floor, or any elliptical on the first, third or fourth floors. Where did everybody go?

This cycle repeats itself in January and February. Students come back from winter break with new clothes, new electronics and new resolutions to stay physically active. Then February hits – and the gym is barren once again.

What happens to those resolutions, those promises you made to stay fit? In the first month of both the fall and spring semesters, students are free of midterms and papers, and they make time for the gym. Yet, when midterms roll around, students cease to exercise. This seems rather counterintuitive.

A University of Illinois study found that aerobic exercise improves the brain’s ability to focus and concentrate. As a gym bunny myself, I know that working out helps me relieve stress and helps me clear my mind so I am able to study better. So when you become inundated with midterms and papers, isn’t it better to work out to help you relieve stress and help you concentrate better on studying and writing?

I know that studying and writing takes up a lot of time, but going to the gym will not prevent you from doing your work. The same Illinois study found that subjects who walked an hour a day for three days a week reaped the benefits of exercise.

You can make this manageable by dividing those three hours into five 35-minute sessions. Instead of running to Pita Pit for a snack/study break, go the gym and take the tension out in a productive way. Or if you feel you cannot spare 35 minutes from your study session – which in my experience probably means you waited too long to study – take your index cards, PowerPoint slides or class notes to the gym and review while working out on a stationary bike or an elliptical.

I know it’s tempting to stop exercising when you are overloaded with midterms, papers and activities, but it’s important to remember that working out helps you stay focused and relieves stress.

October has just begun, and I already see the cycle turning over. Get your sneakers on, GW, and hit the gym!

I’m even willing to wait those five extra minutes for my favorite elliptical.

The writer is a junior majoring in English.