Link Between Physical Exercise and Learning?

We know that physical exercise affects weight and health, but can physical exercise affect learning? According to recent research, the answer is yes. For teachers, this has extreme significance. Since physical exercise affects a student's ability to learn, a school day that includes exercise is one that encourages student learning. Read to find out why physical exercise holds the key to a more productive school day for both teachers and students.

Physical Exercise on Performance

Physical exercise readies a student for learning and affects the student's ability to learn and remember. Physical exercise occurring prior to learning tasks or assessments, results in higher performance scores. In the classroom setting, this means that learning tasks following a PE class or recess are potentially sharper and performances stronger.

Physical Exercise on Mind and Body

So why are some schools cutting PE programs? Schools must reassess the decision to cut physical education courses. PE courses accomplish more than teaching team sports and healthy weight alternatives. Physical exercise affects student learning by stimulating the mind and body. It causes students to be more alert in the classroom and have more energy to learn and retain facts. What's more, physical exercise causes students to be more attentive the whole day.

Physical Exercise Early in Day

Consider these questions. If alertness is affected by physical exercise, do students who have early morning PE or recess have an advantage over students who do not or who have it late in the school day? Are those students in detention--ones who often need the most help academically--short-changed by missing out on physical exercise, when it's the very thing that might cause them to stay focused and meet educational goals?

Physical Exercise Prior to Testing

Other questions to consider are these. Can teachers help students score better on tests by simply allowing students to engage in physical exercise before testing? What about physical exercise for students prior to teaching an important new lesson? From personal experience as a tutor, I know that students who come directly from school to tutoring are less focused than those who see me after they've had a time of outdoor play.

I often instruct parents to have their child get physical exercise before a tutoring session. This is of particular importance when I see students with ADHD. Physical exercise prior to tutoring keeps brains more focused during tutoring. I usually make greater academic progress with a student who has gotten physical exercise prior to tutor.

Physical Exercise on Teacher Performance

As far as teachers are concerned, what works for students works for teachers too. Teachers who get physical exercise before starting the school day, are apt to have more energy all day, not less. This increased energy level affects instructional presentation and teaching performance. Consequently, it influences student learning. Physical exercise for both teacher and student impacts student learning all day long.

Source:
Terrence J. Sejnowski, "Exercise Improves Learning and Memory", Howard Hughes Medical Institute, http://www.hhmi.org/news/sejnowski.html