Scientificblogging.com is reporting on a paper presented at the American Heart Association's 2010 Conference on Nutrition, Physical Activity and Metabolism which shows a connection between physical fitness and academic performance in fifth grade students.
The paper, titled "Long-Term Physical Fitness Is Associated with Children’s Academic Achievement," with research conducted by Dr. Lesley A. Cottrell of West Virginia University, Dr. Richard Wittberg of the Mid-Ohio Valley Health Department in Parkersburg, West Virginia, and Karen Northrup, Wood County Schools, Parkersburg, West Virginia, was part of the Poster Program at the conference.
According to a press release from West Virginia University:
Researchers found that the children who had the best average test scores in reading, math, science and social studies were fit at the start and end of the study. The next best group academically in all four subjects was made up of children who were not fit in fifth grade but had become fit by seventh grade.
Those who lost their fitness level between grades five and seven were third in academic performance. The lowest academic performance came from those who were not fit in either fifth or seventh grades ...
“ The take-home message from this study is that we want our kids to be fit as long as possible, and it will show in their academic performance,” Cottrell said. “If we can intervene for those children who are not necessarily fit and get them to fit levels, we may also see their academic performance increase.”
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