Submitted by Callum O'Shea on Wed, 29/11/2023 - 13:36
Brand new activity programme launched in Michaelmas for Cambridge students!
The Give it a Go programme launched in October, with low commitment, free activities taking place every week.
The sessions, designed to be an entry point into a new activity, are all coach-led and beginner-friendly, taking place in a safe location, with all equipment provided, meaning they are easy to access and a great way to keep active while studying at Cambridge.
Give it a Go Activities
Hundreds of students have engaged with the sessions during Michaelmas, and the programme has so far delivered activities in Badminton, Football, Lacrosse, Netball, Pickleball, Squash, Table Tennis, Tennis, Touch Rugby, Ultimate Frisbee, and Volleyball - with more activities to come in Lent term.
While there are lots of opportunities to take part in sport at Cambridge already, for example through University Sports Clubs and Inter-Collegiate Sport, these laid-back, timetabled activities taking place at a central venue represent an opportunity for students to play sport at a purely recreational level - and still enjoy the benefits of connecting with others outside of their college/department, and developing new skills.
Mental Wellbeing
While the benefits of physical activity for physical health are well documented, regular exercise also has a beneficial impact on mental wellbeing too. According to mental health charity, Mind, physical activity has lots of benefits for our mental and physical wellbeing. It can help with things like:
- Managing stress
- Improving sleep
- Improving your mood
- Improving confidence
- Connecting with nature
- Socialising and meeting new people
- Managing symptoms of depression and anxiety
Brain Performance
Physical activity is also linked with an increased ability to learn, improving memory and thinking skills, and generally increasing brain performance - handy for students at the University of Cambridge! All types of physical activity cause blood to flow to the brain. In turn, this fires up neurones and promotes cell growth, meaning that even 30 minutes of activity per day can improve your concentration and learning abilities.
Find out more about the programme and how to get involved: Give it a Go
Check out the Sports Guide for all the information on sport and physical activity at Cambridge.
Please contact activestudents@sport.cam.ac.uk with any queries.
