By Hannamiina TANNINEN (Jockey Club Harmony Hall)

Numerous studies show that rats who have physical exercise have more synapses in their brain than those who just stay inactive. In other words, those who are in good shape have better learning results, not to mention better health. I feel like a rat in a rat race during the school week if I don’t exercise regularly. 

Don’t make it to the University Sports team? Not even to the hall’s team? Don’t share a passion to compete in sports? No worries, there are still a lot of things you can do to improve your health and get better learning results. You don’t have to wait for the Wellness March activity month organised by the University and SRO to start exercising. For example, you can start with a morning Tai Chi class. 

SRO organised a Fun Walk on 30 August 2011 to welcome all residents and show them the neighbouring areas.  A number of student athletes and also our residents guided us through the areas around the residence. While walking, we got a good chance to mingle with our fellow students, Residence Masters and SRO staff. We learned that there are a number of tennis courts and a huge football field just at the nearby Shek Kip Mei Park. Of course all that walking made us thirsty, so SRO provided us with water, apples and bananas at the mid-point of the walk. When we got back to the residence, every participant got a  CityU pillow case as a souvenir.

So what to do between September and March to exercise your body? Do you know that there is a full-size sports ground with a running track at the Joint-Sports Centre free for us students to use? Or you can just go and jog outside the residence or go to the swimming pool on campus. The gym is also available; you just need to apply for a card. And the gym is not the only thing the Sports Complex has to offer. There are lots of things you can do, from table-tennis to rock climbing.

So stop thinking that you are too tired to do exercise. The thing is that you probably feel tired because you haven’t had enough exercise. To get exercise, it doesn’t matter what you do, as long as you are enjoying it. Our University offers the facilities you might need, so you are more than ready and set. Now just go for it. Invite your friends too!