Want to improve college grades? Join gym

If you wish to outshine your peers by scoring higher marks in your college exams, the answer may not be spending more time in a library or study hall but in a gym, a study says.

The research supports previous theories suggesting that an increase in academic success and retention can occur by creating an environment that connects students to an institution.

The research from Michigan State University (MSU) in the US shows that students who were members of the recreational sports and fitness centres on MSU's campus had higher grade point averages (GPAs) than those who were not.

For the study, researchers analysed data of 4,843 students, and compared the GPAs of those who purchased a fitness facility membership and those who did not.

Results showed that after four consecutive semesters, the students with memberships obtained higher cumulative GPAs.

They also had more credits completed by the end of their first year in college.

"We found that these students' cumulative GPAs were 0.13 points higher," Pivarnik said.

The research also indicated that students with memberships stayed in school longer. An increase of 3.5 percent in two-year retention rates was seen among this group.

"These results provide a compelling argument to universities that a higher student retention rate could be enhanced just by having adequate recreational and fitness facilities for students," Pivarnik added.

The study appeared in the journal Recreational Sports Journal.