Physical activity provides a wide range of benefits for children’s health and development. Increasingly, research is showing that exercise also boosts kids’ cognitive abilities and academic achievement. Getting regular exercise improves focus, memory, and learning in children of all ages.
How Exercise Improves Academic Performance
Several studies have found a positive correlation between physical activity and academic performance in school-age children. Exercise has been shown to:
- Improve concentration and focus: Physical activity increases blood flow to the brain, providing more oxygen and nutrients. This leads to improved concentration skills and attention spans in the classroom.
- Enhance memory and learning: Exercise stimulates neurological changes that support cognitive development. Movement helps stimulate the parts of the brain involved in processing and retaining information.
- Reduce stress and anxiety: Exercise decreases levels of stress hormones like cortisol. This creates a calmer state of mind that is more receptive to learning new skills and material. Less anxiety improves overall wellbeing too.
- Strengthen executive functioning: Physical activity, especially aerobic exercise, improves the self-regulation and planning capabilities needed for goal-setting, organisation, and academic success.
- Boost energy and motivation: Regular exercise gives kids more energy and drive to actively participate and engage in school. Physical activity also increases dopamine levels and feelings of enthusiasm.
The more children exercise, the greater these cognitive benefits seem to be. However, even small amounts of daily physical activity have been linked to improved academic performance.
How Parents and Foster Carers Can Encourage Exercise
Getting kids moving on a daily basis has huge implications for their scholastic development. Parents can promote regular exercise with strategies like:
- Establishing an exercise routine: Set aside time for family walks, bike rides, or playing sports together after school and on weekends. Make exercise a consistent habit.
- Joining sports teams: Enrol children in school sports programmes or community youth athletic programmes – the structured practice time and games will ensure regular activity.
- Trying fitness videos: Have occasional in-home cardio dance parties or follow along with child-friendly aerobics or yoga videos to get the heart pumping.
- Limiting recreational screen time: Cut down on TV, video games, tablets, and phone use in favour of active playtime. Take devices away at least an hour before bedtime.
- Encouraging activity breaks: Suggest jumping jacks, jogging in place, or stretching breaks during long study or homework sessions to refresh the mind.
- Making chores active: Have kids walk the dog, wash the car, sweep outside, or carry laundry to get steps in around the house.
Encourage Kids to Be More Active
The more parents facilitate an active lifestyle, the greater the academic edge their children will have. Encouraging a lifelong habit of daily exercise pays off physically and cognitively. Getting the recommended 60 minutes of exercise each day should be a priority for optimal school performance. Outdoor activities also provide vitamin D absorption and mental health benefits that further boost learning.
Talk to your foster agency if you are struggling for ideas to help your foster children be more active. Know that you can change fostering agencies if you think your current one isn’t being supportive enough.
With so many advantages, it is clear parents should make regular physical activity a key component of their child’s routine.
