Benefits of Physical Exercise in school

Physical activity is known to boost both body and brain functions, so it’s no wonder that exercise can also help children do better in school. However, not enough kids are getting the minimum requirement of one hour of physical activity per day, as set forth by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Trusted Source (HHS).

Exercise can be added to a child’s routine in a variety of ways before, during, and after school. Learn how you can help your child be more active, despite a busy academic schedule.

By early elementary school — age 6 or 7 — most kids have the physical coordination and attention span, plus the ability to grasp rules, which they need to play organized sports. A few years later — between ages 10 and 12 — most can handle the added pressure of team competition.

You can help your child get enough daily activity via sports and extracurricular activities if these fit your schedule and budget. Look for classes and recreational leagues that stress fitness, skill-building, fair play, and most of all, fun.

If your child enjoys team sports, try: Basketball, Cheerleading, Flag football, Hockey (ice, floor, or field), Lacrosse, Soccer (indoor/outdoor), T-ball, baseball, or softball/Volleyball. If your child prefers individual pursuits, consider: Dance, Golf, Gymnastics, Horseback riding, Ice skating, Martial arts, Rock climbing, Skiing, snowboarding, or skateboarding, Swimming/diving, Tennis or Yoga.

Physical activity helps with more than weight maintenance and boosted energy. It also

• promotes positive mental health
• builds strong bones and muscles
• reduces the likelihood of developing obesity
• decreases long-term risk factors that can lead to chronic diseases
• promotes better quality of sleep

Staying active has an impact on academic performance as well. It aids in the improvement of concentration, memory, and classroom behavior. When compared to children who spend less time in physical education classes, those who meet the guidelines for physical activity perform better academically, have better memory, and are less likely to develop depression.

Various recommendations of children’s exercise

Inspiring children to be active is vital for proper growth and development. However, it is important to recommend exercises that are safe and suitable for their abilities. Exercise should to be fun, so it’s something they will want to do.

Age 3-5

The HHS recommends those children ages 3 to 5 years to participate in physical activity throughout the day. Variety is key here: You may decide to take your child to the playground, or you may play ball in the backyard.

Ages 6 to 17

Grown-up children and adolescents are better equipped for weight-bearing activities. These include aerobic activities, such as soccer. They can also do body-weight exercises, such as push-ups, pull-ups, mountain climbing/burgees

While it’s important to engage older children in the right types of exercises suited to their age, it’s just as vital that they get the right amount of physical activity.

Recommendations for Physical Activity

• • Aerobic: Most of the 60 minutes or more per day should be either moderate- or vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity and should include vigorous-intensity physical activity on at least 3 days a week.
  • Muscle-strengthening: As part of their 60 minutes or more of daily physical activity, children and adolescents should include muscle-strengthening physical activity on at least 3 days a week.
  • Bone-strengthening: As part of their 60 minutes or more of daily physical activity, children and adolescents should include bone-strengthening physical activity on at least 3 days a week.

A comprehensive approach to physical education and physical activity in schools is the national recommendation for schools. This method is known as Comprehensive School Physical Activity Programs.

Physical Activity and Academic Achievement

• Students who are physically active tend to have better grades, school attendance, cognitive performance (e.g., memory), and classroom behaviors (e.g., on-task behavior).1
• Higher physical activity and physical fitness levels are associated with improved cognitive performance (e.g., concentration, memory) among students.

Benefits of Physical Activity

Regular physical activity can help children and adolescents improve cardiorespiratory fitness, build strong bones and muscles, control weight, reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression, and reduce the risk of developing health conditions such as:

• Heart disease.
• Cancer.
• Type 2 diabetes.
• High blood pressure.
• Osteoporosis.
• Obesity.

Consequences of Physical Inactivity

Physical inactivity can

• Lead to energy imbalance (e.g., expend less energy through physical activity than consumed through diet) and can increase the risk of becoming overweight or obese.
• Increase the risk of factors for cardiovascular disease, including hyperlipidemia (e.g., high cholesterol and triglyceride levels), high blood pressure, obesity, and insulin resistance and glucose intolerance.
• Increase the risk for developing type 2 diabetes.
• Increase the risk for developing breast, colon, endometrial, and lung cancers.
• Lead to low bone density, which in turn, leads to osteoporosis.

Here are some ideas for how to encourage your child to be more active:

• Make physical activity part of time spent together as a family.
• Take advantage of public parks, baseball fields, and basketball courts in your community.
• Keep an eye out for upcoming events that promote physical activity at your child’s school or community spaces.
• Challenge your child to take time off from electronic devices and play with their friends.
• Team up with other parents in your neighborhood to provide a safe environment for activity-based birthdays or holiday celebrations.

The most thorough approach to improving a child’s health involves home, school, and community. Parent-teacher associations can further promote these ideas by advocating:

• strong physical education and recess policies that emphasize increases in time for and frequency of physical activity
• academic lessons that include physical activity 
• shared-use agreements to allow school facilities to be used for physical activity outside of school hours
• child involvement in intramural sports and activity clubs movement breaks during long lessons, which can promote light- to moderate-intensity activities