"I don't expect Harvard to keep me in shape," Delaney says.

And even if the pressure at Harvard is ratcheted up a few more notches than at other schools, most students see personal fitness as a lifestyle choice that extends beyond the University.

"There are a good many people who would like to be fit, and don't do anything, but I don't think that's specific to Harvard," says Thomas H. Price '02. "It's mostly a question of how you prioritize it."

But some students emphasized that in order to stay calm and focused amid Harvard's constant deluge of papers, meetings and activities, they need to stay fit.

"After a run, you definitely feel more refreshed and ready to do things," says Andrea R. Tao '02, a Winthrop House resident. "Oftentimes you're better off going to the gym and then coming back to do a problem set. Otherwise you sit down to do the problem set and end up feeling groggy."

UHS Director Rosenthal, who notes that Harvard once had a mandatory physical education requirement, agrees.

"[Director of Athletics William J. Cleary '56] and I have met several times, and we both feel that a student who is finding some relief from academia is going to be more useful and more productive," Rosenthal says.