Physical education may be one of the school subjects some pupils find the most daunting, but according to new research, regularly taking part in exercise and keeping fit could help to improve a child’s academic performance in the long term.
This is the discovery of a paper carried out by scientists at the University of Madrid, following a study involving 2,038 Spanish participants aged between six and 18 years-old. Data relating to their physical fitness levels, body composition and school grades was analysed.
It is widely known that keeping fit and exercising on a regular basis can improve an individual’s health, but little research has been done into whether or not it can affect a person’s brain and subsequently their performance at school or college.
At the beginning of the study, its author Irene Esteban-Cornejo commented: ‘It is important to differentiate which physical fitness components are important in relation to academic performance.’
Results showed that a young person’s cardiorespiratory capacity and motor ability were related to how well they were doing at school, but the strongest connection was seen between the latter, suggesting ensuring this is of a sufficient level has a big part to play in securing high grades.
In addition, it was noted that pupils with lower physical fitness levels in relation to the factors concentrated on in the study were not performing quite as well academically.
The effect of muscular strength was also examined during the research project, but this was not found to have any significant influence on a young person’s ability to do well at school.
Therefore, the study concludes a good cardiorespiratory capacity and – arguably more importantly – high levels of motor ability could be to thank for a student’s successful academic performance.
Ms Esteban-Cornejo explained: ‘Having high levels of cardiorespiratory and motor fitness may, to some extent, reduce the risk of school failure.’
She suggests more efforts should be made to get children to take part in aerobic exercises and motor tasks to help to enhance their academic development in the future.
Originally posted netdoctor.co.uk 19 June 2014