The research is out there – physically fit students do perform better academically!

New York City

A report released in July by the New York City Health Department and Department of Education shows that physically fit students tend to outscore their peers who are less-fit on academic tests.

Read the press release  or download the full report .

Texas

In March, a report by the Texas Education Agency  showed that physically fit students are more likely to do well in school and less likely to be disciplinary problems.

 Read the press release.

Exercise and the Brain

In his book,  Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain, John Ratey, a Harvard clinical associate professor of psychiatry, argues for more physical fitness for students as a cure for not only their obesity but also their academic performance.

What Next…

For parents, teachers, school administrators, and legislators (and just about everyone else) the answer is clear. Part of the answer to increasing achievement test scores, school performance, and other measures is incorporating more physical activity into the lives of kids. The answer is not decreasing phys ed programs in order to spend time on academics. But it is not just more physical activity as part of the school curriculum. That increased activity must be part of their non-school lives as well.