The Importance Of Physical Activity

Physical activity has not only physical benefits. It also has a very big impact on social-emotional and cognitive aspects of child’s live. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention “The development of a physically active lifestyle is a goal for all children. Traditional team and competitive sports may promote healthy activity for selected youth. Individual sports, noncompetitive sports, lifetime sports, and recreational activities expand the opportunity for activity to everyone. The opportunity to be active on a regular basis, as well as the enjoyment and competence gained from activity, may increase the chances that a physically active lifestyle will be adopted.”

How can sports help a student’s performance in school?  To be able to play sports in school, students need to maintain their grades, thus motivating learners to do well in school (Harris). In addition, a sport allows a person to come out of their comfort zone to meet new people and build up their self-image. Athletes also experience positive health benefits. Especially at a young age, playing sports can help to reduce diabetes, heart diseases, and other sickness that could be very harmful to students (Morris). Sports is something all students should participate in because of its positive effects. Therefore, schools should require students to join at least one sport. Participating in sports will help students build their academic success, develop character and improve their

A. What was studied? (theoretical framework) The time allocation for physical education school-based physical activity is often replaced with other classes in an effort to increase children’s academic performance. However, a growing body of literature suggests that physical activity either had no effect on academic performance or that it enhanced it..

“The authors discuss the growing evidence that strenuous physical activity is not only healthy for the students, but improves their academic performance” (Sattelmair & Ratley, 2009). This article discusses physical education programs and relates it back to the importance of physical activity and cognition. This research suggests that traditional physical education is unnecessary, as they advocate for a program that “emphasizes cognitively, socially, and aerobically demanding activity on a daily basis, one that focuses on personal progress and lifelong fitness activities by encouraging models of physically strenuous play that are engaging, challenging, and enjoyable to students” (Sattelmair & Ratley, 2009). Research evidence is provided on physical education programs that are successful in the development of mental health in the

It is now recognized that physical activity can be associated with the maintenance of cognitive function in older adults and offers some protection against Alzheimer's disease. Cognitive dysfunctions in older adults is becoming an urgent public health problem. However, there is a positive association between physical activity in young children that impacts cognitive health later in adults. The article states that a positive influence of physical activity on the cognitive functions of children is important for at least two reasons. One reason a potential argument for increasing PE without risk of decreasing academic progress. The other reason is that physical activity in school, like physical education class at an early age offers a way to reduce disruptive behavior and later will decrease the dropout rate. Furthermore, another important factor of increased physical education would be an enhanced level of physical

Sports have recently been threatened by society, people calling out the athletic department in schools, saying things like high school sports are hurting our students academic scores and they cost too much money(Ripley). Sports in many cases have actually been directly linked to increase in brain activity, especially in females. In August of 2000 data on the cumulative GPA’s of female athletes and non-athletes was collected. The data showed that the cumulative GPA for non-athletic girls was 2.93 nationwide, but get this, there was a total of a 0.11 increase in the GPA’s of those female students that played a sport of some kind(Bradley, Tegano, Howland, McInnis, Hindle). Females make up more than half of the population, thus, the argument that the majority of the youth in america is academically inhibited by playing sports is invalid. Not only do

Like other play physical play also provide cognitive and academic domains. Physical activity contribute to develop and expression of self- control. For example, running around game of chase, children are at high level of arousal, but when the game is over they must control their behavior in order to disengage and settle down. Many studies have shown that moderate to vigorous levels of physical activity can improve executive function in school going children, organized games and sports may be even more effective, because they require continuous attention and disciplined action. If physical play can impact executive function in children, it may have impact on academic outcomes. Taking breaks for physical play also has direct impact on learning,

The ability for high school sports to give athletes a break from the classroom allows them to clear their minds. Students have the chance to forget about the things that may be bothering them as well as allowing them to have fun for a bit. Research shows that the movement of the brain’s physiology has an effect on the way that a person does things throughout their life. In fact, a study shows that people who have been physically activity or have participated in sports when they were younger are happier because they have been releasing endorphins which releases stress. Stress is the leading cause of depression in the United States and by exercising, the rate of stress in which a person has can be lowered. High school sports does not just benefit a person's mental health but also a person's physical health.

Health and physical fitness have a vital role in the life of men. And the progress of the nation lays the hands of people; every individual should develop physical fitness for a happy and effective living. That’s why physical activity is very important in South African context. For a person to be physically fit one has to be involved in physical activities. Physical activity is very important for our overall development and growth, as it moves our different parts of the bodies, sitting up, holding, jumping, rolling, running, crawling and walking. Physical activity provides general health benefit across a range of diseases and the greatest health benefits happen when we are active.

With the uprise of technology, kids are getting less and less exercise; but when schools provide after school athletics, students have a chance to stay healthy. In an article written by Tim O´Shei, he states that a 2012 study by the Datalys Center found that young athletes had higher scores in math and english than those who did not participate in sports (12).According to a 2013 report from the Institute of Medicine, physically active kids have more focus, are better problem solvers, and score higher on tests (O’Shei 12). This data highlights the fact that when children do physical activities it allows their brains to think harder and faster. Students staying healthy is very important and when schools give them the chance to exercise they can stay strong and active.

(4) ‘A new issue of Monographs of the Society for Research in Child Development linked children’s brain development with level of physical fitness. Physically active children tend to outperform their inactive peers in the classroom and on tests of achievement. Those who engage in more physical activity have larger brain volumes in the basal ganglia and hippocampus, areas associated with cognitive control and memory. Cognitive control refers to the control of thought, action, behavior, and decision-making. Also Physically active children also have increased concentration and enhanced attention spans when compared to their less active peers.’

Sports programs have been an integral part of all schools. They support the academics of the school and therefore foster success in life. These programs are educational and help produce productive citizenship. They help students experience and build skills that may help them in their future, like interpersonal and time management skills. Education may kindle the light of knowledge, but sports help to maintain the proper physique. Sports are also an important means of entertainment and a use for energy after long hours of study. Sports increase a student’s performance not only in the classroom but also in their life.

Sports and the general physical activities have been associated with a plethora of benefits. Not so much in correlation with education though. The debate on sports and academic performance relates as to whether sports affect academic performance positively or negatively. Mostly, academics, especially in high school and colleges, require an enormous time commitment. In the same way, sports demand time commitment. Apparently, academics and sports run linearly and either would consume the time of the other. Such would be the argument put forth by the claimants of the negative effects of sports on academic performance. The opponents to the positive correlation of sports and academic performance ground their arguments largely on the time commitment that the two require claiming that sports would consume a student’s time for study hence affecting their academic performance. Proponents of a positive correlation between sports and academic performance summon an extensive range of evidence showing that students who participate in sports perform well in academics. The proponents’ arguments are fetched from the proven benefits of exercise which improve a student’s overall well-being and motivate their academic performance. Opponents would, however, argue that the studies that find athletes and sports persons good at academics do not show how such correlations occur in that other factors could be the actual causes of the correlation and not sports in themselves. Regardless, opponents to the claim that sports affect academic performance positively cannot deny that sports affect the overall well being of any human being. As such, there is no denying that sports affect academic performance positively where a balance among the two is maintained.

The second article was tested with a whole middle school which tests all of the students. The problem was exact to the first article, that students in school were not receiving their full physical activity experience. Determining whether the sports can help will aid athletes in not having to think the sport is bringing their grade down. The method was a simple survey, asking the student how much physical activity they have in a normal day and was compared to what their grades were at the time of the study. The results in the study showed that the student’s athletic activity had little effect on the grades of the students, which disproves stereotypes. Limitations in the study are that ninety eight surveys were administered but only fifty eight were given back to the researchers. Further research may be that elementary, middle, and high school students can all be tested to see if the age of the student determines their success or failure with participating in physical activity.

Another unfortunate hindrance to physical activity in schools is the notion that physical activity takes away from time that could be used for academic studies. This is unjustified however, because children of this age group are unable to sit and concentrate for long periods of time without being able to get up and move (McDevitt & Ormrod, 2010).