Activities during exam revision

Revision/Training/Activity ideas


This blog was written by Glynis one of the osteopaths here at Eyre Place in Edinburgh.

When you are revising everyday in the run up to exams you will have a timetable of subjects.Unless you revise away from home in a library or at school or college you are probably much less active than you are usually. In an average day at school you walk there and back and change classes as well as any sports or activities. Non of this happens during revision. It is very easy to spend your whole time revising and forget to do other things. If you include some activity in your plans it will help your concentration as well as keeping your energy levels high.

HIIT 

High intensity interval training is perfect when you are short of time.Download an interval app. It lets you set the time and number of reps. The free version of  12 minute athlete is good.12 Minute Athlete by 12 Minute Athlete
Aim for 4-5 minutes of high intensity activity with short reps 30-40 seconds and repeat with a five to ten second rest. You can do the same activity for each rep or alternate between 2 or 3 , I find choosing a few for cardio or toning and repeating each one twice works well. 

Example 
Rest interval 10 seconds
Workout interval 40 seconds
Number of rounds 6 
Total 5 minutes 

Select 3 exercises 
High knee running on the spot
Jumping jacks
Burpees 
Repeat x2

Some ideas for using the interval app are:
Cardio 
Knee to opposite elbow
Foot to bottom 
High knees running on the spot/across the room and back
Feet stepping in and wide, squat to make it more difficult 
Jumping jacks 
Burpees
High knee pulls
Centre hops 

Core/toning
Planks
Side plank
Plank plus movement touch one hand to opposite shoulder or feet in and out. 
Squats
Lunges
Mountain climbers 

Some other ideas to try:


Skipping or hula hooping both great cardio. If you don’t have a skipping rope you can do a virtual skip imagining that you are holding the rope.This is much easier if like me you aren’t very coordinated. not to trip as you build up your jumps! 

If you have stairs run up and down the stairs every hour or when you’re thinking about something or repeat a fact you are trying to memorise. 

Have a competition with friends, FaceTime at a set time for five minutes and see who can do the most reps for a minute or do a short routine together with the interval app.

Dance to a favourite song, dancing is fabulous exercise and can burn as many calories if not more than running for the same length of time. 

Make a voice message of facts you find it difficult to remember.Listen to it as well as music while you go for a run or walk. 

Remember to rest and get a good nights sleep every night. Recent studies are showing that sleeping for eight hours a night is one of the best ways of consolidating new facts into your long term memory. A fact worth remembering. 

If nothing else stand up and sit back down every twenty minutes. The movement will help to keep your back mobile and enhance your concentration. 
All without leaving your desk for more than a few minutes.


 Need more ideas? Osteopaths can give specific advice to help you get the most out of your activities. Here at Eyre Place we enjoy working with our patients to make sure that they get the most from all of the things they do. I wrote this blog after a conversation with a friend about her teenager having some difficulty staying warm in the large Edinburgh flat they live in during her revision for higher prelims in January . She was either huddled in the kitchen sitting uncomfortably or under her duvet neither helped her concentration. If you would like more information give me a call 01315572211 or email me viawww.eyreplaceosteopath.co.uk 

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