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The Importance
of Daily Physical Activity in our Schools by
Kim Pierson
As physical educators and coaches,
we know the many benefits of daily physical activity, but
our discipline is often questioned or thought of as simply
a prep for classroom teachers. We are often subjected to comments
such as "Gym class is just an opportunity for kids to
run off energy," or "We can cut physical education
and athletics out of the budget because they are not essential."
We need to actively dispute these negative ideas with facts
that support the value of daily physical education and movement
activities. As professionals who are regularly at risk of
financial cuts, we need to know and understand the current
findings of movement studies and brain research. We must show
that daily physical activity benefits student classroom performance
and lifelong brain development, and we need to share these
findings with others.
Current research has shown regular physical activity for
students of all ages may be an important component in improving
classroom performance. Extensive work by Jensen (1998) and
Hannaford (1999) are now linking daily physical movements
to an enhanced learning experience in the educational setting.
Children who engage in daily physical activity show improved
motor fitness, improved academic performance, and improved
attitude towards school compared to students who do not participate
in daily physical activity (Jensen, 1998).
This work supports the need for physical education and daily
movement in the lives of our school age youth. Some studies
establish significant links between movement and learning
(Jensen, 1998). Much of the research shows how activity may
influence the continual development and growth of the brain
along with its heightened effect on the process of learning.
Studies have shown that movement may be the essence of all
learning (Hannaford, 1995). One current action-research study
conducted by three elementary teachers in California concluded
that on the days students engaged in physical education, they
showed considerable growth in mean average on an addition
test (increasing from 35 to 44 correct answers). The observations
of these educators also confirmed that their students were
less fidgety and more cooperative, attentive, and enthusiastic
on physical activity days (Lowe, 2000).
Physical movement is a key element in the lifelong development
and growth of the brain (McCall and Craft, 2000). Throughout
the course of our entire life, the brain changes and grows.
In the same way that exercise shapes our muscles, heart, lungs,
and bones, it strengthens the basal ganglia, cerebellum, and
corpus callosum-all key areas of the brain Uensen, 1998).
He suggests movement is essential in helping the brain anchor
new information. As the brain begins to process new concepts,
physical movement actually helps to secure it into the brain's
neural networks. Exercise also increases blood flow and oxygen
to the brain-a factor in increased reaction time. Ultimately,
physical activity may increase the brain's efficiency, alertness,
creativity and memory. Daily physical activity is also as
essential to adult brains as it is to children's. Adult physical
activity helps to manage stress while it keeps the body fit
(Hannaford, 1995).
Having very strong feelings about the importance of early
movement and the benefits of physical activity for the brain
and body, I volunteered to teach kindergarten physical education
during my prep time.
First, Movement
and Daily Physical Activity Helps the Brain to...
Anchor New Information, Improve Memory,
Maintain Alertness, Strengthen Key, Areas of the Learning
Brain, Increase Efficiency, Improve use of Oxygen and Nutrients,
Increase Response Time, Improve Creativity, Improve Stress
Management, Increase Classroom Enthusiasm, Improve activities
that benefit the motor development of children, and second,
I had become actively engaged in learning about brain development
and how we as teachers can improve the total learning environment
of our students. With the brain related resources and studies
behind me, I began to work with the kindergarten teacher to
create a brainfriendly classroom.
Since studies by Hannaford (1995) and Jensen (1998) have
shown that movement can enhance the brain's alertness, creativity,
efficiency, and memory, it was obvious that the kindergarten
teacher and I needed to provide our young learners with physical
activity immediately upon their arrival at school. While the
teacher implemented brain-friendly strategies (water, protein
snacks, brain gym, colors, scents, creating a safe environment,
and music), I set out to create movement activities in the
gym that would help them return to their classroom with an
increased potential for learning. I ensured that all students
were actively engaged during the entire period. I targeted
activities that were cross-lateral in nature. Schiller (2000)
suggests that performing arm and leg movements that cross
over from one side of the body to the other can have a dramatic
effect on learning. Since the left side of the brain controls
the right side of the body, and the left side of the brain
controls the right side of the body, the two sides of the
brain are forced to communicate when legs and arms cross over
(Schiller, 1999). Therefore crosslateral movements encourage
the right and left hemispheres to work together. Simple examples
of cross-lateral movements are windmills, jumping jacks where
arms and legs are crossed, and a game of twister. Studies
by Hannaford (1995) have also shown reciprocal movements help
encourage the right and left hemispheres of the brain to communicate
and work together. Simple examples of reciprocal movements
are scissor jumps with opposite arm action, creeping, and
bear walking. I specifically use activities such as obstacle
courses and continual movement activities where students are
creeping, crawling, bear walking, climbing, rolling, spinning,
and balancing. Students move in a variety of positions such
as upright, laying down, and upside down, while also moving
in various directions such as forwards, backwards, sideways,
circular, fast, and slow. Students are therefore engaged in
the development of locomotor, object control, physical fitness,
and balance skills. All of these physical education activities
are carefully planned so the kindergarten students will return
to their class with increased learning potential.
Physical educators and coaches should speak out about the
impact physical activity has on the learning process. They
can plan movement activities that increase students' potential
for academic learning, and invite others to visit the gym
or sports field to watch students engage in activities that
benefit the brain. They can affirm physical education as a
core subject and athletics as a valuable academic asset by
providing information to others through distribution of information
to guardians that highlight brain research, and they can demonstrate
simple classroom activities that enhance student learning.
They can educate students and parents; encourage other educators
to be physically active role models; and share their curriculum
and lesson plans with administrators and school board members.
References
Hannaford, C. (1995). Smart Moves: Why Learning is Not All
in Your Head. Arlington, VA: Great Ocean Publishers.
Jensen, E. (1998). Teaching With the Brain in Mind. Alexandria,
VA: ASCD Publications.
Lowe, S. (2000, Winter). Is There a Correlation Between Physical
Activity and Academic Performance? NASPE News, pg. 9.
McCall, R and Craft, D. (2000). Moving With a Purpose. Champaign,
IL: Human Kinetics.
Schiller, S. (1999). Start Smart: Building Brain Power in
the Early Years. Beltsville, MA: Gryphon House Publishers.
Kim Pierson (kpierson@isd381.k12.mn.us) is a K-1 and Adaptive
Physical Education teacher for the Lake Superior School District
381 in Two Harbors, MN.
Title:
Exercise your mind: the importance of daily physical activity
in our schools.
Doc Date: 2002
Journal Name: Strategies (Reston, Va.)
Journal Volume: 16
Journal Publishe:r American Alliance for Health, Physical
Education, Recreation and Dance
Journal Issue: 2
Journal Date: Nov/Dec 2002
Journal Pages: 21-22
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