Overall, a rapidly growing body of work suggests that time spent engaged in physical activity is related not only to a healthier body but also to a healthier mind (Hillman et al., 2008).Ĭhildren respond faster and with greater accuracy to a variety of cognitive tasks after participating in a session of physical activity (Tomporowski, 2003 Budde et al., 2008 Hillman et al., 2009 Pesce et al., 2009 Ellemberg and St-Louis-Deschênes, 2010). Indeed, 11 of 14 correlational studies of physical activity during the school day demonstrate a positive relationship to academic performance (Rasberry et al., 2011). Yet little evidence supports the notion that more time allocated to subject matter will translate into better test scores.
In addition to a general shifting of time in school away from physical education to allow for more time on academic subjects, some children are withheld from physical education classes or recess to participate in remedial or enriched learning experiences designed to increase academic performance (Pellegrini and Bohn, 2005 see Chapter 5). State-mandated academic achievement testing has had the unintended consequence of reducing opportunities for children to be physically active during the school day and beyond. PHYSICAL FITNESS AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY: RELATION TO ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE Because children must be present to learn the desired content, attendance should be measured in considering factors related to academic performance. Attendance is another factor confirmed as having a significant impact on academic performance (Stanca, 2006 Baxter et al., 2011). A valuable predictor of student academic performance is a parent having clear expectations for the child’s academic success.
(Fan and Chen, 2001), and a host of other demographic factors. Among these are socioeconomic status (Sirin, 2005), parental involvement The short- and long-term cognitive benefits of both a single session of and regular participation in physical activity are summarized.īefore outlining the health benefits of physical activity and fitness, it is important to note that many factors influence academic performance. Because research in older adults has served as a model for understanding the effects of physical activity and fitness on the developing brain during childhood, the adult research is briefly discussed. Correlational research examining the relationship among academic performance, physical fitness, and physical activity also is described. This chapter reviews the findings of recent research regarding the contribution of engagement in physical activity and the attainment of a health-enhancing level of physical fitness to cognitive and brain health in children. In children, brain health can be measured in terms of successful development of attention, on-task behavior, memory, and academic performance in an educational setting. In adults, brain health, representing absence of disease and optimal structure and function, is measured in terms of quality of life and effective functioning in activities of daily living. Given that the brain is responsible for both mental processes and physical actions of the human body, brain health is important across the life span.
The relationship of physical activity and physical fitness to cognitive and brain health and to academic performance is the subject of this chapter. The idea that healthy children learn better is empirically supported and well accepted (Basch, 2010), and multiple studies have confirmed that health benefits are associated with physical activity, including cardiovascular and muscular fitness, bone health, psychosocial outcomes, and cognitive and brain health (Strong et al., 2005 see Chapter 3).
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