How Exercise Can Improve Your Child's Performance In School

The word “exercise” conjures many images for people – usually activities such as swimming, lifting weights, running, or walking. While all of these are certainly great examples of exercise, they’re typically the kinds of things adults focus on in order to stay physically active. Kindergarteners shouldn’t be training for half-marathons or lifting weights at the gym just yet – but they still need exercise!

Children learn through play, and they exercise that way too. Riding bikes, playing tag, and even participating in gym classes at school or daycare are all great ways for children to get their bodies moving. And the perks to exercise aren’t only physical – they’re mental, too.

Studies have found that there is a direct connection between academic performance and physical activity for children. In fact, research finds that physical activity has a positive impact on test scores, grades, and cognitive skills in general.

So how can exercise improve your child’s performance in school? This is an important question for all parents to understand the answer to, so read on to find out how exercise can improve academic performance for your child.

How Children Benefit From Physical Activity
Kids who get regular moderate physical activity reap both mental and physical benefits that can ultimately help with academic performance. Some of the benefits of physical activity for children include:

• Stronger bones and muscles – Kids who get between 30 and 60 minutes of exercise each day have denser bones and stronger muscles than those who aren’t as physically active.
• Lower blood pressure – Children who exercise typically have lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels. You may not think this is important for a child, but kids can suffer from elevated blood pressure that can impact their health and put them at risk later in life for chronic conditions such as heart disease and Type 2 diabetes.
• Improved weight – Many children are overweight today because of increased sedentary lifestyles. Video games, smartphones, and tablets all play a role in this. More active children are less prone to becoming overweight or obese.
• Better stress management – Kids experience stress too, but kids who exercise are calmer and less stressed than those who don’t.
• Improved self-esteem – An active child will feel more confident and feel better about themselves overall.

How Physical Activity Affects School Performance
Now that we understand the physical benefits of activity for kids, it’s time to understand the mental benefits of exercise that can help to improve a child’s school performance. Ways exercise can help your child do better in school include:

• Improved attention and concentration – When a child participates in physical exercise, they’re also improving their motivation, alertness, and attention span. Exercise improves blood flow to the brain and promotes the growth of new cells that improve memory and learning.
• Boost in feel-good chemicals – Exercise also releases hormones in the body that impact mood and help a person to feel more motivated. When people are happier, they are better able to retain information and concentrate.
• Increased blood flow – Circulation is important to overall health, but improved circulation also has an impact on memory and cognition. After all, exercise helps the heart to get stronger, which allows it to pump oxygen-rich blood to the brain more effectively. With this improved blood flow, the brain works at its best.
• Improved learning – School and sports really do go together. Research has found that the way exercise causes the brain to develop new nerve cells means that learning gets easier with increased exercise. Plus, the balance of neurochemicals and neurotransmitters in an active brain leads to conditions that are optimal for learning.
• Better spelling and reading – Interestingly, exercise also plays a role in better spelling and reading. Active play or sports reinforce spatial awareness for a child while also improving visual perception and fine motor skills. These are all helpful when it comes to writing and reading.
• Increased math skills – Studies have also shown that gross motor skills are improved with exercise, which means that even math skills can get a boost from regular physical activity!
• Better behavior – Some kids struggle to behave in the classroom, which can be challenging for everyone. However, kids who get exercise are more likely to be settled in class, disturbing their classmates less.
• Better studying – Does exercise help with studying? You bet! An active brain is better able to focus and filter out distractions, leading to more success when studying.

How Much Should Your Child Exercise?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend that children get an hour of moderate exercise each day to reap the physical and mental benefits. If your child plays sports, they’re likely hitting this target on their own without any intervention from you. But school sports aren’t the only way to reach a daily exercise goal.

Riding a bike on the weekends or after school is a fun activity for a lot of kids, but they can get their steps in each day by simply walking to and from school, too. If they have any interest in physical activities outside of school, such as karate or dance, then seize on that and sign them up for a class.

If you have a dog, make your child the official dog walker – a good activity to get them out of the house and moving. There are also physical video games for some gaming systems that encourage kids to get up and move, so you may want to explore games like these if your kids love playing video games.

There are so many benefits a child can gain from simply being active for an hour each day, so do what you can to encourage your child to exercise and watch them reap the rewards in all areas of their lives.

Featured image by Yan Krukov on Pexels