How physical exercise affects learning

How does physical exercise affect learning in elementary school children?

Physical exercise is an essential part of a healthy lifestyle for people of all ages, but especially for children. Physical activity can benefit children's physical, mental, and emotional health, as well as their academic performance. In this blog post, we will explore how physical exercise affects learning in elementary school children, and how teachers and parents can integrate physical activity into their daily routines.

Physical exercise and learning: What does the research say?

Research has shown that physical exercise can have positive effects on children's cognitive abilities, such as memory, attention, concentration, and problem-solving. Physical exercise can also improve children's mood, motivation, self-esteem, and behavior in the classroom. Some of the benefits of physical exercise for learning include:

- Improving blood flow and oxygen delivery to the brain, which enhances brain function and neural connections.

- Stimulating the release of neurotransmitters and hormones, such as dopamine, serotonin, and endorphins, which regulate mood, reward, and stress response.

- Reducing stress and anxiety, which can interfere with learning and performance.

- Enhancing sleep quality and duration, which are crucial for memory consolidation and learning.

- Increasing neurogenesis and neuroplasticity, which are the processes of creating new brain cells and forming new connections between them.

According to a review of 59 studies by Donnelly et al. (2016), classroom-based physical activity interventions can improve academic achievement by about 0.2 standard deviations on average. This means that students who participate in classroom-based physical activity can score about 4 percentage points higher on standardized tests than students who do not. The review also found that classroom-based physical activity can improve students' on-task behavior by about 20%.

How to integrate physical activity into elementary school lessons

There are many ways to incorporate physical activity into elementary school lessons, both inside and outside the classroom. Some examples are:

- Classroom exercise breaks: These are short bouts of physical activity (2-3 minutes) that teachers can use to break up long periods of sitting and stimulate students' brains. Classroom exercise breaks can include activities such as jumping jacks, squats, hand walks, star jumps, or mountain climbers. Teachers can also use music, videos, or games to make the exercise breaks more fun and engaging.

- Physical activity integration: This is when teachers use physical activity as a way to teach academic content or reinforce learning objectives. For example, teachers can use movement to demonstrate math concepts (such as fractions or angles), spelling words (such as hopping on each letter), or science facts (such as acting out the water cycle or the solar system).

- Active recess: This is when teachers encourage students to be physically active during recess time by providing equipment (such as balls, jump ropes, or hula hoops), space (such as playgrounds or fields), and supervision (such as coaches or volunteers). Active recess can help students burn off excess energy, socialize with peers, and develop motor skills and coordination.

- Active transportation: This is when students walk or bike to and from school instead of using cars or buses. Active transportation can help students get more physical activity throughout the day, reduce traffic congestion and pollution around schools, and foster a sense of independence and responsibility.

Conclusion

Physical exercise is not only good for children's health, but also for their learning. By integrating physical activity into elementary school lessons, teachers and parents can help children improve their cognitive abilities, academic achievement, behavior, and well-being. Physical activity can also make learning more fun and enjoyable for both students and teachers.