The Benefits of PE - Summary

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL ACADEMICS AND
PHYSICAL ACTIVITY RESEARCH & RECOMMENDATIONS

Improve Grades, Stop Obesity, Reduce Risk of Early Chronic Diseases

This document reveals the breadth of research highlighting the dramatic connection between improved academic performance of elementary school children, measurable physical activity in schools, and reduced obesity and risk of Early Chronic Diseases (ECD). The data is clear: getting kids active improves both their grades and their health.

CONTRIBUTORS

Nick Smith, Jen Washburn, Dan Bastian, Boyd Jentzsch

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Summary

FIGURE 1: Elementary Schools & Regular PE. Budget cuts and policy decisions have forced 92% of the nation's elementary schools to eliminate regular PE.

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2002

In response to budget cuts and provisions of the federal "No Child Left Behind" act, elementary schools have been forced to cut Physical Education (PE) programs from their curriculum. The objective of these cuts is to give kids "extra" time for improving academic and scholarship achievements. Unfortunately, numerous studies show these measures to be counter-productive. Academic performance of elementary school age children is hurt, not helped, by less physical activity.

Concurrently, the escalating and lifestyle-caused obesity epidemic is ravaging the future of children by spawning Early Chronic Diseases (ECD), shortening life spans, reducing quality of life, and costing untold millions of healthcare dollars.

Research Objective

The objective of this document is to encapsulate an Early Sport Foundation (ESF) study which assembled the research data, assimilated the discoveries, and summarized the evidence for policy makers and administrators who determine elementary school policy. Contact ESF for a free copy of the peer-reviewed references used herein. An emailable pdf version of the full study is also available upon request.

The express purpose of presenting these science-based data is to demonstrate to policy makers the urgent need to initiate appropriate, measurable, and validated physical activity in elementary schools. This will improve academics while stopping the obesity and ECD epidemic. Disbanding regular physical activity in schools causes irreparable harm to children academically, physically, and psychologically.

The evidence is clear and compelling: regular, vigorous, appropriate physical activity helps improves grades, is best administered in schools, and prevents obesity and ECD.

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