Brains originally evolved to help coordinate movement, so organisms could more easily find food. Movement continues to serve as one of the greatest ways to stimulate the brain, with muscle movements activating brain receptors. Children can improve their overall health and well-being through exercise. The Surgeon General recommends that children engage in 60 minutes of moderate activity most days of the week.
P.E. helps improve self-esteem in children, by improving their body image. This makes children more confident, increasing self-efficacy. Improved self-efficacy increases the chances that children will learn new skills and challenge themselves with more cognitively demanding ideas.
Many schools have considered getting rid of physical education classes, to free-up more money to spend on academics; this according to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. However, cutting P.E. may cause harm to student academics. Reducing time for physical education does not improve academic performance. Researchers published a study in a 1999 edition of "The Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport," which found that students who participated in intensive P.E. programs did not show lower academic scores, and some even received higher grades. This lack of change in student academic scores, showed that physical education improves academic excellence, since children do not spend as much time receiving academic instruction, yet still received the same grades.
Fourteen studies have examined data from 58,000 students, between 1967 and 2006. These studies were written by dozens of researchers and published in journals, such as the "American Journal of Public Health." They have found that overall involvement in physical activity improves student academic performance.
According to the Franklin Institute, when children take breaks to engage in physical activity, they experience improvements in cognitive performance and are better-behaved in the classroom. Exercise increases circulation to the brain, which supplies more oxygen and glucose. Those who engage in regular exercise see improvements in memory and executive functions, which include planning, organization and the ability to handle several complex cognitive tasks.
Exercise can reduce stress -- lowering stress improves mental clarity -- which improves the child’s ability to concentrate. Prolonged stress can lead to declines in overall cognitive function. Regular exercise can also alleviate depression. Depression is not only a health concern on its own, it also inhibits concentration and it can negatively impact academic performance. As reported by Harvard University, exercise stimulates the release of chemicals in the brain that help calm the body.
Running can help prevent neural disorders, such as Alzheimer’s disease. Teaching students to engage in physical activity early on can lead to healthy habits that prevent age-related disorders.