Studies demonstrate the positive effects daily physical activity has on student performance and academic achievement in terms of memory, observation, problems-solving and decision-making, as well as significant improvements in attitudes, discipline, behaviours and creativity

Source: Keays, J.J. and Allison K.R., 1995, The Effects of Regular Moderate to Vigorous Physical Activity on Student Outcomes: A Review. Canadian Journal of Public Health, Vol. 86, No. 1.

High grades and performance on cognitive measures are consistently associated with high physical performance

Source: Canadian Fitness and Lifestyle Research Institute. Benefits and Impact of Physical Activity for Ontario. Ministry of Tourism and Recreation of the Government of Ontario, 1995

Apart from the obvious physical and psychological benefits associated with vigorous physical activity, some evidence exists to suggest that students who participate in high-school athletics do just as well academically, if not better, than non-sport participants and are less likely to drop out of school

Sources: McNeal, 1995 and Spreitzer, 1994

A recent survey conducted with 1,230 high school students in Manitoba (Manitoba High Schools Athletic Association, 1994) found the following

76% agree that participation in school athletics increases the likelihood of staying in school

77% agree that participating in school athletics makes school a more enjoyable experience

students participating in both school and non-school athletics are most likely to have positive attitudes and be engaged in school life

Students participating in school-based sports are just as good, if not better, school citizens than their non-sport peers

A greater proportion of school-based sport participants report an above average academic record

Source: Spence, John C. and Pauline Poon, Alberta Centre for Well-Being, Results from the Alberta Schools' Athletic Association Survey, 1997

Self-efficacy is a strong correlate of current exercise and a consistent predictor of future exercise behavior. Contemporaneous variables drawn from social learning theory were found to have the largest direct and indirect associations with self-efficacy specifically related to vigorous exercise

Source: Hofstetter, C. R., Hovell, M. F., Sallis, J. F. (1990). Social learning correlates of exercise self-efficacy: Early experiences with physical activity. Social Science and Medicine, 31, 1169-1176.

Students who participated in an aerobic (daily running) program achieved higher levels in reading, language and mathematics and had better cardiovascular fitness and respiratory efficiency than a control group of students participating in only regular physical education. Other studies have shown that increasing the time allotted to physical education did not lead to decreases in academic performance

Generally, it has been confirmed that "children lacking in early motor experiences encounter difficulty in learning as measured by achievement and intelligence tests." Physical education has been linked to improved academic performance, particularly in mathematics, with elementary school children

Source: Guidelines for School and Community Programs to Promote Lifelong Physical Activity Among Young People, 1997

Children who participate in organized activities outside of school such as sports, music, the arts or clubs tend to have higher self-esteem, interact better with friends and perform somewhat better in school, according to new data from the National Longitudinal Survey on Children and Youth (NLSCY)

For the most part, 76% of parents reported that their children were doing very well or well in school. Preliminary findings show that children between the ages of 4 and 9 who participated in activities, particularly sports, tended to have fewer difficulties in reading or math than those who rarely or never participated

In the NLSCY, a test designed to measure receptive or hearing vocabulary was administered to children between 4 and 6 years of age. In 1998/99, 29% of those who had little or no involvement in activities showed delayed development in vocabulary, about twice the proportion (13%) of those who had participated in activities

Source: National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth: Participation in activities, 2001

"Running makes you smarter", according to Japanese researchers. They found a 12-week running program significantly improved the reaction time and memory skills of their subjects

Source: Runner's World, We Love Running, 2002

With respect to children, research has consistently demonstrated moderate to high association between cognitive or academic performance and motor performance (also called perceptual-motor performance), particularly among young children. That is, children who perform well on motor tasks also do well on academic tasks

In the mainstream population, the focus of research has been on ascertaining the nature of the relationship between physical activity and measures of scholastic achievement. Generally, it has been confirmed that "children lacking in early motor experiences encounter difficulty in learning as measured by achievement and intelligence tests."

Physical education has been linked to improved academic performance, particularly in mathematics, with elementary school children

In college women, the relationship between physical education and academic performance was significant at the 0.01 level

Longitudinal studies in France and Japan have reported similar results, with experimental groups outperforming control groups, which did not participate in physical education, on academic performance variables

In Canada, enhanced mathematical performance was found among children participating in a daily physical education program, as compared to a control group receiving only standard physical education.

Source: Canadian Fitness and Lifestyle Research Institute, Benefits and Impact of Physical Activity for Ontario, 1995