Don't Ditch Gym Class!

Faced with budget constraints and increased testing requirements, many public schools are slashing programs they deem “unnecessary.” Often the first program to get the boot is physical education—good old gym class.

“One of the reasons PE gets cut back is because schools want kids to spend more time in the classroom,” explains Benjamin Sibley, an ASU doctoral student in Sport and Exercise Psychology. However, his research findings show that taking time out for PE might actually help kids learn.

Several studies have examined the link between physical activity and cognition, but their results have varied. Advocates and opponents of physical education have selectively used these studies to support their own agendas.

To help settle the debate, Sibley conducted a meta-analysis of research on physical activity and cognition in children. He analyzed 45 studies on children ranging from five to 18 years old.

Some studies examined the effect of starting a physical activity intervention (such as increasing PE or starting an exercise program). Others compared the cognitive abilities of students with varying fitness levels. The studies used quantifiable cognitive measures such as IQ or grade-point average.

Taken together, the studies show that physical activity does improve children’s mental functioning. Even when you factor in lost classroom time, PE offers kids a mental boost.

“The best results were in middle school and also very young elementary school students (pre-K to second grade),” says Sibley. He is working to find out why.

There are several possible reasons why activity helps children learn. Researchers know that there is a relationship between arousal and attention. Physical activity increases arousal and helps focus attention.

Very young children also may learn partly through movement. Physical activity helps them learn about various spatial or temporal relationships.

Physical activity may help middle-schoolers learn through more indirect means. Exercise has been shown to reduce anxiety and depression, and raise self-esteem. Removing such emotional barriers may help children focus more in the classroom.

This fall, Sibley will work with ASU Exercise Science professors Robert Pangrazi and Jennifer Etnier in Mesa public schools. They will try to determine the reasons for the link between activity and cognition.

“The effect on cognition isn’t huge, but PE also improves physical health,” says Sibley.

Childhood obesity has become a major problem. Obesity-related illness is skyrocketing, and a lack of physical activity is a primary cause. The percentage of overweight children in the United States has doubled since 1968.

As a result, the incidence of type-II diabetes in children is soaring. This form of diabetes is strongly linked to weight and is commonly known as adult-onset diabetes. In the past it rarely affected children. Overweight kids are also at risk for high blood pressure, high cholesterol, orthopedic problems, and sleep difficulties.

“One of the big points we try to make with this research is that you can have that PE time, and get those physical health benefits, without hurting academics,” Sibley says. “It might actually help.”—Diane Boudreau