Jul 10, 2014 01:45 PM EDT By J Baulkman, UniversityHerald Reporter

Spending more time in the gym may help students bump up their grade point averages (GPAs) during college, according to a recent study.  

Researchers from Michigan State University found that students who are members of the recreational sports and fitness centers on campus during their freshman and sophomore years had higher grades than those who weren't.  

They also found that students with gym memberships stayed in school longer; an increase of 3.5 percent in two-year retention rates was seen among this group.

"That could equate to about 1,575 people within a student population of 49,000 deciding to move on to a third year of school," James Pivarnik, a professor of kinesiology and epidemiology at Michigan State University, said in a statement. "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."

For the study, researchers analyzed data from a sample of freshmen and sophomores, totaling 4,843 students, and compared the GPAs of those who purchased a fitness facility membership and those who did not.

Their 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. "Although this number may not appear to be significant, in the end, that amount could mean the difference to those students on the cusp of getting into graduate school or even advancing to the next academic year."

Pivarnik noted that 74 percent of those with memberships successfully gained their sophomore status while only 60 percent reached that goal in the nonmember group.

"The results of this study are important because not only are we retaining more students, but we're retaining those that have higher GPAs which is good for everyone," Pivarnik said.

The findings support previous theories suggesting that by creating an environment that connects students to an institution, in this case a university recreational facility, an increase in academic success and retention can occur. 

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