Active kids make the grade
by author By Katherine Janson

Most of us feel the urge to buckle down as September comes – to throw our carefree summer schedules out the window and get back to fall routines. But just because kids are heading back to school, doesn’t mean it’s time to toss out all of that summer activity, too.

“If you’re trying to settle into a balanced family routine for fall, physical activity and sport should stay on your schedule,” says Kelly Murumets, president and CEO of ParticipACTION, the national voice of physical activity and sport participation in Canada.

According to the 2009 Active Healthy Kids Canada Report Card, children who are more physically active are also more academically fit, resulting in better scores in math and reading, higher grades, greater perceptual skill, and overall academic readiness. So parents, schools, and communities shouldn’t be so quick to replace hockey with homework!

“Being active feeds the brain, giving active kids an academic advantage over their peers who are more sedentary,” says Dr. Mark Tremblay, Chief Scientific Officer, Active Healthy Kids Canada, and Director of Healthy Active Living and Obesity Research at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario. “We’ve always known that physical activity is essential for kids’ health and their long-term well-being. Now we know that it also improves school performance. A workout for your body is a workout for your brain.”

Unfortunately, only 13 percent of children and youth are active enough to meet the recommended guidelines of 90 minutes of physical activity a day.

“We all want our kids to succeed at school,” says Murumets. “Unfortunately, in our eagerness to ensure academic success, our society has cut out time for activity in the school day and devoted it to sedentary study. What the research is telling us is that we should be doing exactly the opposite – active kids are fit to learn.”

Even when time is taken away from other subjects, physical education does not negatively impact academic achievement. In fact, increased fitness and active opportunities have positive effects on academic performance. Studies from within Canada and around the word show that physical activity is related to learning through

• the production of substances that protect delicate neurons in the brain
• improvements in memory, concentration and attention span
• improvements in grades and test scores
• increased self-esteem and self-confidence
• reduced misbehaviour at school
• increased feelings of school connectedness

"Being active is not an ‘extra,’” says Murumets. “It’s an essential ingredient in raising healthy, intelligent children who thrive inside the classroom and out.”

And if better grades are not enough reason to get your family into action, the health benefits of physical activity include a reduced risk of the developing the following: cardiovascular disease, some types of cancer, osteoporosis, diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, stress, and anxiety. So if you’re struggling to choose between a bike ride and the books this back-to-school season, try to find time for both. Getting active is the smart thing for your family to do.

Katherine Janson is the PR and Communications Manager for ParticipACTION.

Source: alive Web Exclusive, September 2009