In a recent MSNBC article, they unveiled that children who get more exercise, tend to do better in school. This exercise can be anything from playing during recess to walking to school.
The article was created following an article published in the “Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine,” where head researcher Amika Singh and her colleagues reviewed 14 studies that compared kids’ physical activity with their grades or scores on math, language and general thinking and memory tests. In one of the 14 studies, when researchers asked students how much time they spent exercising, they found that those with higher rates of physical activity did better in the classroom and in another study conducted here in the United States, it was found that second and third graders who got an extra 90 minutes of physical activity per week did better on a test of spelling, reading and math, along with gaining less weight over the next three years.
Improved grades may be because children are better behaved and can concentrate better when they get enough exercise, or because physical activity improves blood flow to the brain and boosts mood, the researchers wrote.
It’s the hope of researchers that studies such as this will not only improve breaks and routines at school, but will also encourage families at home to encourage physical activity. Dedicating some amount of time in the day to physical activity can make a world of difference for your child.