The Benefits of Physically Active Kids

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Physical Activity Also Impacts Academics Indirectly

In addition to the direct benefits of physical activity on academic performance, exercise positively impacts the scholastic abilities of children through improvements in classroom behavior¹³ and cooperation with others.¹² Regular exercise increases self-esteem by improving body image and body composition⁴ and encouraging skill mastery.¹⁴ Cognitive function, attention, focus and coordination improve with participation in physical activity.

FIGURE 5: Educational Impact on Children of Physical Activity in Schools. Physical activity improves academic performance, benefiting both students and teachers in the following educational areas:

Concentration
Focus
Balance
Self esteem
Energy
Behavior
Conflict resolution
Imagination
Sportsmanship
Movement control

Attention
Spatial skills
Eye movement
Skill mastery
Body image and build
Relationships
Creativity
Teamwork
Problem-solving
Handwriting

Source: See Reference appendix for multiple sources

Classroom Behavior Improves

Students have better relationships with their classmates and teachers after exercise, according to the research. While playing, children learn better how to get along with others and settle differences, and are creative and imaginative.¹⁵

Exercise also reduces bad behavior of troublesome students; the more vigorous the exercise, the better the behavior improvement.¹³

Self-Esteem Increases

As children learn new physical skills, they develop a sense of mastery and well-being that has benefits for learning in the classroom.¹⁴ Young children who participate in regular physical activity have better brain function, higher energy and concentration, and improved body build, all which improve self-esteem and result in better behavior and classroom learning.⁴ As the intensity of physical activity increases, so does self-esteem in both males and females.¹ Students with lower BMI (measurement of weight status) also tend to have higher self-esteem than children who are overweight.¹

Increased self-esteem appears to also increase the child's desire to learn, which leads to an improvement in behavior.¹²

Cognitive Function/Attention and Focus are Strengthened

Appropriate exercise stimulates nerve activity and offers benefits for attention and understanding by increasing naturally-occurring brain chemicals.¹¹ Three studies presented at the 2001 Society for Neuroscience Conference indicate that regular exercise improves brain function and increases the chemicals responsible for brain health.¹⁰ Three other studies confirmed that children's brain function improved, rather than decreased, with exercise.¹³ The naturally occurring chemicals identified in the studies affected brain function in ways similar to pharmacological preparations(medications) and resulted from any type of physical activity.¹³

FIGURE 6: Comparison of Historical vs. Validated Physical Activity Programs

"Old School" Physical Education

Naturally-gifted athletes excel
Competitive environment: same kids win, same kids lose
Kids become discouraged
Less-gifted children learn they aren't "good enough"
Children compete inappropriately against meaningless and arbitrary standards
Standards are based on outdated military norms: push-ups, sit-ups, chin-ups, etc.

Validated Physical Activity

Every child wins and knows it
Non-competitive environment teaches skills
Kids have fun and develop high self esteem
Children learn that their effort and contribution have value
Children compete only against themselves and see improvement
Standards are individualized and progress is measured by heart rate monitors, encouraging activity and participation

Source: Silver Mesa Study, Jordan School District, 2003

Children Develop Better Coordination

A main purpose of play is to develop the part of the brain which controls movement.¹⁶ In about 6% of school-aged children, coordination problems negatively affect their learning and social activities. Children who lack strong coordination skills suffer from such difficulties as attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), learning troubles, poor handwriting, and emotional immaturity.¹⁷ Rather than improving with time, these problems remain into adolescence and adulthood.

Active children develop better control over physical movement and have longer endurance than obese children.¹⁸

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