As the old expression goes, it’s important for us to remain healthy both in “body and mind.” Here’s how physical fitness affects school performance!
Health and academics
It’s no secret that our physical health has a direct impact on, well, pretty much our entire lives. The same goes for students, and decades of research indicates that there is a definite link between physical wellness and grades. Here’s a quick summary of the evidence:
- Students with higher academic performance had higher oxygen intake, lower blood pressure, and lower levels of insomnia
- Mathematics and reading are the topics most heavily influenced by physical activity, and dedicated “recess” periods throughout the school day benefit academic performance
- Physical activity reduces anxiety and depression, which in turn promotes positive mental health and academic confidence
Let’s dig a little deeper. What exactly is going on here?
Physical fitness and school performance
As we’ve discussed on our blog before, executive functioning skills are absolutely critical for students. These skills include many of the cognitive abilities that we use throughout the day – time management, focused attention, and effective planning (just to name a few). As it turns out, our physical health directly impacts these abilities.
For students, a primary concern is energy levels. Unfortunately, eating junk food and staying up late are two habits which are very common among students – neither of which promote lasting energy levels. Processed foods and sugary snacks are best avoided, and we encourage parents to check out Fueling the Mind: Nutrition Tips for Better Learning for more info on healthy snacks!
According to the CDC, physical inactivity is defined as expending less energy than what is consumed through diet. In other words, when a person takes in more calories than they burn throughout the day, it can lead to an energy imbalance in the body – increasing the risk of numerous health problems including obesity, type 2 diabetes, and high blood pressure.
Our best recommendation is for parents to encourage their kids to stay physically active! Click here to learn more about how regular exercise can boost your learning.
Physical health is often neglected
This can be a difficult subject to discuss, but it’s important that parents know the facts. The reality is that students today are physically unhealthier than they were decades ago. Since 1980, student obesity rates have tripled – and by 2008, roughly 1 in 5 U.S. students were obese.
There are many factors at play, but technology’s impact on our lives is undoubtedly a major contributor to the general decline of physical health – especially among young people. It shouldn’t come as a surprise to any of us that sedentary activities are simply more common than they used to be.
Look, we’re not criticizing – we love social media, video games, and watching YouTube cat videos just like everyone else! We’re simply pointing out that technology has changed a lot of our pastimes, and a large portion of our entertainment comes from screens and electronic devices. However, it’s important to remember that there’s still a great benefit to the “old fashioned” activities of yesteryear – who remembers riding bikes around the neighborhood, playing catch outside, or just going to the park to hang out?
