Why the Program Works

Exercise and the Brain:
Building Blocks of Focus, Attention and Memory
Physical education is increasingly a casualty as districts work overtime to meet academic curriculum proficiency standards and prepare for standardized tests. The results can be seen in real time: according to a study from The Nemours Foundation, only half of schools now require physical education in each of grades 1 through 5.

Vigorous Activity Improves Mental Performance
Reduced activity at school may hamper students’ academic results. A growing body of research links exercise and academic performance, including an April 2009 report from Charles Hillman of the Neurocognitive Kinesiology Laboratory at the University of Illinois, which points to better cognitive control among active children after 20-minute segments of physical activity.

Other research reveals similar findings:

• Fitness impacts performance: Recent studies by the California Department of Education and CDC found that increased activity levels correspond to better academic performance.
• Every minute counts: A study of 214 middle-school students by the American College of Sports Medicine cited improved academic performance when students engaged in 20 or more minutes of vigorous activity, three days per week.
• School programs work: A 2003 University of Pittsburgh Study linked physical activity and academic achievement, urging more emphasis on physical activity "to enhance academic achievement as well as physical and mental health."

The Mind-Body Connection
As to why exercise impacts mental agility, scientists point to the neurological effects of exercise, which is proven to:

• Encourage new brain-cell growth
• Improve focus as the body releases excess energy
• Increase blood flow to the brain
• Enhance memory and concentration

A growing number of teachers nationwide seem to concur, using guided classroom activity to re-charge their students and reinvigorate classroom learning.

Bring Activity into Your Classroom with Activity Works
As an integrated kinetic solution that introduces controlled activity into the classroom, Activity Works may contribute to improve academic performance. Contact us to learn more.

Exercise and the Body:
The Key to Fighting Childhood Obesity
The American obesity epidemic extends well into our schools, with the CDC reporting that nearly half of the nation’s children ages 6-11 are obese or overweight. (31.9%, are overweight. Another 16.3% are obese.)

Healthy Habits Start Young
There has never been a more critical moment in the movement to address childhood obesity. By acting now, long-term effects such as diabetes and other illnesses may be kept at bay.

• Consistency is the key: Healthy People 2010 , a government initiative, recommends at least 20+ minutes of vigorous activity per day, three times per week. The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services counsels that any episode of moderate or vigorous physical activity, however brief, counts toward the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans.
• Every teacher can get involved: Classroom programs that encourage active behavior and healthy lifestyles can impact student choices after school as well.
• The best programs keep kids moving: Activities in which all students participate for the duration of the program may be more effective than team sports that send students to the sidelines.

Bring Activity into Your Classroom with Activity Works
As an integrated kinetic solution that introduces controlled activity into the classroom, Activity Works can help your school work to improve academic performance. Contact us to learn more.

Exercise and Behavior:
Releasing Energy, Increasing Focus and Relaxation
Boundless energy is a hallmark of childhood. Regular exercise provides an important outlet that enables children to "burn off" excess energy and focus on their studies, improving behavior in the classroom.

Activity and Focus Align
A growing body of research in kinesiology suggests that the remedy to student inattention is good, old-fashioned exercise. Progressive classrooms are finding ways to incorporate movement and activity into their daily routine, using "activity bursts" to refocus young learners on their studies.

Anecdotal evidence suggests that such initiatives have an impact:

• In a recent MSNBC article, a parent of a student with ADHD noted that exercise helps her son maintain classroom focus, an observation backed by recent science.
• Dave Spurlock, Director of Physical Education for Mitchell Elementary School in Charleston, SC, noted that with the introduction of a classroom-based activity program, the rhythmic quality of the exercises improved students’ memorization skills.
• Schools nationwide cite better-behaved students and academic improvement when classroom-based activity programs are used as part of a broad health-focused initiative.

Activity during the Day helps Children Sleep at Night
Improved rest after physical activity also imparts benefits that can be seen in the classroom. A 2009 Australian study of 519 children published in The Archives of Childhood Disease suggests that increased activity helps individuals fall asleep. Research revealed that each sedentary hour increased the time it took to fall asleep by 3.1 minutes.

Conversely, active children fell asleep faster – and were more likely to arrive to school awake, engaged and focused.

Bring Activity into Your Classroom with Activity Works
As an integrated kinetic solution that introduces controlled activity into the classroom, Activity Works can help your school work to improve academic performance. Contact us to learn more.