There are three types of people on campus: the ones that can bench press a tiger, the ones that can run while carrying a koala bear and the koala bears. I identify as number three, or at least I did until recently. I had never, ever stepped foot into a gym before I got here, let alone work out on my own. Coming to NYU Abu Dhabi and hearing almost everyone complain about the burden of physical education requirements made me want to get rid of mine as soon as possible. So, here I am taking a P.E. class in my first semester. And trust me, it’s not as bad as it seems. Let me explain why.

For starters, I have always been extremely lazy. I once fell asleep on the stairs to the basketball court in my school and woke up an hour later to a very concerned friend. For someone as lazy as me, commiting to a P.E. class was a real burden. I would be out of breath, barely lifting a 10 kilogram kettlebell, while other students would ask for a “more challenging exercise.” I thought I would drop the class then and there, but I had to get the requirement out of the way. So I decided to continue with Beginner’s Fitness for Life and I am glad I did.

For someone like me, who is perpetually stressed, the P.E. class has been a great way to release tension and divert my mind from academics for at least an hour a day. Additionally, I used to skip meals when I was stressed out, but working out has drastically increased my appetite — even when my stress levels are skyrocketing.

Not only does the regularity of these classes make me follow and maintain a disciplined schedule, it has also helped me cultivate a culture of exercise. It has only been five weeks and I am already hitting the gym — even when I don’t have P.E. class. In fact, the class is now teaching us to design our own workout plan through which we can focus on either a specific type of workout or focus on a specific body part. This is helping us understand our bodies better and is also equipping us with knowledge about fitness that we can apply even outside of class. And that itself is an amazing improvement in my lifestyle.

It’s no surprise that physical education and activity offer a variety of benefits to us. For instance, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention states that regular physical activity, even on a moderate level, reduces the risk of colon cancer and breast cancer. Physical exercise also improves mental health by generating endorphins, reducing stress levels and anxiety and even improves memory. Furthermore, regular exercise has been proven to increase appetite, decrease the risk of cardiovascular diseases by up to 35 percent, assist in getting rid of academic or workplace burnouts and improve sleep patterns. And from the Instagram and Snapchat stories I have been seeing — yes, from you first year students who pull off all-nighters regularly — it seems that we could all use healthier sleeping habits.

A lot of people complain about P.E. requirements because they do not like to do traditional workouts on a regular basis. But the university provides many alternatives to traditional workouts. If you are not into weight training or kickboxing, join something like yoga, pilates or maybe even explore swimming, capoeira, dancing or rock-climbing. The list goes on. And for people who already work out on their own and do not want to be a part of the class, there is the flexible fitness option. In any case, if you are a member of one of the NYUAD sport teams for a semester, you complete one out of the two P.E. requirements, so there really is not much reason to complain.

NYUAD’s P.E. requirements force students to explore the plethora of opportunities on campus — opportunities we may not make use of if they were not mandatory. For instance, when in your life will you ever have the chance to learn fencing or jiu jitsu? Most of us, if not for these mandatory requirements, would not have taken the time to explore such activities in our busy university lives. I feel that having mandatory P.E. requirements is a nice push for us to explore new areas of interest.

I believe that once you are introduced to the fitness culture, you will start to understand your body more and will be motivated to work consistently towards keeping yourself healthy, be it through a balanced diet, a healthy amount of sleep or maintaining a disciplined fitness schedule. Although I sometimes hate it while I’m working out — all out of breath, sweaty and sore — I can't deny that I feel physically and mentally great post-workout.

It is kind of like getting your eyebrows threaded: it hurts when you are getting it done and you really want to just get up with half an eyebrow done, but you stay through the pain. Because you know that when it is done, you are going to feel fabulous.