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This article highlighted the importance of decreasing the amount of
time children spend sitting at school to reduce cardiovascular disease and
metabolic disorders. However there may be further benefits which coincide
with one of the fundamental reasons our children attend school in the
first place. We believe that sitting less during the school day and being
more physically active can not only benefit cardiometabolic health but
also improve academic achievement. This is contrary to concerns from
education authorities that increasing time spent physically active will
decrease the time for teaching and result in lower overall school
performance.
Current research suggests that engagement in physical activity may improve
cognitive function and academic achievement. School-based physical
activity can be scheduled as part of the curriculum, be performed during
recess, extracurricular, or during classroom based academic lessons. A
systematic review in 2010, including 32 experimental and quasi-experimental studies showed that school-based physical activity is
positively associated with educational outcomes in the majority of
studies. In 98.5% of the studies no detrimental effect on academic
achievement were found [1].
Classroom based physical activity is associated with improved time-on-task, attention-to-task and concentration which are crucial for adequate
academic achievement. Physically active academic lessons therefore offer
an opportunity to both reduce sedentary behaviour and improve school
performance without being constrained by the limited opportunities for
physical education in the curriculum. Physical Activity Across the
Curriculum (PAAC) [2] and Take10!? [3] demonstrated that it is practical
and feasible for schools and teachers to combine the delivery of academic
material with short physically active games (~10min) and that this
improved significantly performance scores in maths, reading, and spelling
[2,3].
Despite the interest in the effect of both exercise and sedentary
behaviour on future health risk, there is little evidence on the effect of
these on cognitive function or academic achievement. Sedentary behaviour
could have two alternative effects of cognitive performance depending on
the nature of the behaviour i.e. related or not to inactivity whilst
studying or doing homework etc. Future research on sedentary behaviour
should expand the scope toward its impact on cognitive function and mental
health.
Meanwhile the existing evidence on the benefits of physical activity
should motivate education authorities to maximize the opportunities for
children to be physically active and to sit less throughout the school
day; this may have a positive impact not only on physical health, but also
on cognitive function and school performance.
References
1 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The association between
school based physical activity, including physical education, and academic
performance. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
2010.
2 Donnelly JE and Lambourne K. Classroom-based physical activity,
cognition, and academic achievement. Prev Med 2011; 52 Suppl 1:S36-42
3 Kibbe DL, Hackett J, Hurley M, McFarland A, Schubert KG, Schultz A,
et al. Ten Years of TAKE 10!?: Integrating physical activity with academic
concepts in elementary school classrooms. Prev Med 2011; 52 Suppl 1:S43-
50.
Competing interests:
No competing interests
11 August 2011
Anne Martin
PhD Student
David H Saunders, Susan D Shenkin
Institute for Sport, Physical Education&Health Sciences& School of Clin Science&Community, Edinburgh
'Seat of Learning'?
This article highlighted the importance of decreasing the amount of
time children spend sitting at school to reduce cardiovascular disease and
metabolic disorders. However there may be further benefits which coincide
with one of the fundamental reasons our children attend school in the
first place. We believe that sitting less during the school day and being
more physically active can not only benefit cardiometabolic health but
also improve academic achievement. This is contrary to concerns from
education authorities that increasing time spent physically active will
decrease the time for teaching and result in lower overall school
performance.
Current research suggests that engagement in physical activity may improve
cognitive function and academic achievement. School-based physical
activity can be scheduled as part of the curriculum, be performed during
recess, extracurricular, or during classroom based academic lessons. A
systematic review in 2010, including 32 experimental and quasi-experimental studies showed that school-based physical activity is
positively associated with educational outcomes in the majority of
studies. In 98.5% of the studies no detrimental effect on academic
achievement were found [1].
Classroom based physical activity is associated with improved time-on-task, attention-to-task and concentration which are crucial for adequate
academic achievement. Physically active academic lessons therefore offer
an opportunity to both reduce sedentary behaviour and improve school
performance without being constrained by the limited opportunities for
physical education in the curriculum. Physical Activity Across the
Curriculum (PAAC) [2] and Take10!? [3] demonstrated that it is practical
and feasible for schools and teachers to combine the delivery of academic
material with short physically active games (~10min) and that this
improved significantly performance scores in maths, reading, and spelling
[2,3].
Despite the interest in the effect of both exercise and sedentary
behaviour on future health risk, there is little evidence on the effect of
these on cognitive function or academic achievement. Sedentary behaviour
could have two alternative effects of cognitive performance depending on
the nature of the behaviour i.e. related or not to inactivity whilst
studying or doing homework etc. Future research on sedentary behaviour
should expand the scope toward its impact on cognitive function and mental
health.
Meanwhile the existing evidence on the benefits of physical activity
should motivate education authorities to maximize the opportunities for
children to be physically active and to sit less throughout the school
day; this may have a positive impact not only on physical health, but also
on cognitive function and school performance.
References
1 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The association between
school based physical activity, including physical education, and academic
performance. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
2010.
2 Donnelly JE and Lambourne K. Classroom-based physical activity,
cognition, and academic achievement. Prev Med 2011; 52 Suppl 1:S36-42
3 Kibbe DL, Hackett J, Hurley M, McFarland A, Schubert KG, Schultz A,
et al. Ten Years of TAKE 10!?: Integrating physical activity with academic
concepts in elementary school classrooms. Prev Med 2011; 52 Suppl 1:S43-
50.
Competing interests: No competing interests