First Posted: 2/19/2015
In the U.S. nearly one out of three children are obese or overweight. Serious health problems such as type II diabetes, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease and heart disease are more likely for children who are above the normal weight.
The long-term health effects are only one way that a child’s physical health can impact other areas of their development as well. Being overweight and obese also may have a serious impact on school attendance and children’s cognitive development.
Children spend most of their time at school, which gives schools the opportunity to help children become healthier and more active. Schools and parents can maximize students’ learning potential. Creating a school environment that fosters physical activity and promotes that each child get at least 60 minutes a day of physical activity can benefit academic performance, health performance and maximizes learning potential.
Schools can support physical activity through classroom activity, a quality K-12 physical education curriculum, Safe Routes to School Programs, after-school events, and many additional ways.
Providing these opportunities for physical activity can have both immediate and long-term benefits on academic performance. Children are better able to concentrate on tasks immediately after engaging in physical activity. Over time, children who are active will improve their physical fitness which leads to positive effects on performance in mathematics, reading and writing. Students who have regular participation in physical activity are linked to improved academic performance and brain functions, such as attention and memory.
There is no optimal type of physical activity recommended, but having a policy that consistently ensures students receive and experience the benefits of physical education and activity in schools is what is important.
Start a conversation with your school today about creating the healthiest learning environment possible to create an environment where learning and activity go hand-in-hand. If you would like some tips on how to get that conversation started, go to www.ActivateAllenCounty.com and click on the Healthy Schools menu, or call the Activate office at 419-221-5035.
