The college years are demanding, so many students feel great pressure to get good grades , sometimes leaving them exhausted. Important exams can cause anxiety and emotional instability, because when they approach, it is common for them to lock themselves in their rooms (or in libraries) for weeks, and they may adopt harmful habits such as: eating poorly, not exercising, etc.
Adopting this attitude may not be the best one. Several studies, such as the one presented by the American College of Sports Medicinehave shown that Physical exercise helps relieve anxiety and leads to better grades
For several decades, experts have recommended that we practice physical exercise for its numerous benefits both physically and mentally. Regarding the latter, the regular practice of physical or sports activities can help us achieve greater well-being but also to improve our cognitive functions, regardless of age or physical condition.
Psychiatrist John Ratey, professor at Harvard Medical School and author of the book The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain, explains: “Performing regular physical exercise is good for improving the perception we have of ourselves, our mood, memory or learning.” Therefore, exercising regularly helps us obtain greater academic performance, since, in addition to producing happiness chemicals or improving our self-esteem, it provides us with other benefits that can favor a better outcome in academics: reduces stress, improves memory and learning, increases brain capacity and improves productivity.
To learn about the results of different studies that explain the psychological benefits of practicing regular physical activity, I invite you to also visit my article:
Better grades for those who exercise
That practicing physical exercise improves academic performance is not a new idea. Therefore, researchers from Saginaw Valley State University (United States) decided to test this theory. After analyzing the exercise habits of 266 students, the researchers concluded that those individuals who exercised vigorously had higher scores in the GPA scale than those who did not.
The GPA scale is a grade point average that ranges from 0.0 to 4.0, and is used by many academic institutions. The results of this research showed a higher average of 0.4 points for those who exercise regularly. Knowing this, you may want to schedule some gym, yoga or running sessions as part of your study hours, even if just to disconnect.
Improvements in the academic performance of children and adolescents have also been documented.
Improvements in academic performance thanks to physical exercise not only affect university students, but also Children and adolescents also see their grades improve thanks to the practice of physical activity
A study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine affirms that those boys and girls who are more active perform better in school. For this study, a group of researchers from the United Kingdom, Scotland and the United States measured the physical activity level of 5,000 11-year-old boys and girls. Their math, English and science scores were assessed when they were 11, 13 and 16 years old.
After analyzing the results of the study, the researchers concluded that the most physically active children at age 11 obtained better results in the three disciplines. Besides, 17 minutes of exercise a day are enough to improve academic performance in boys In the case of girls, 12 minutes a day is enough.
Studies on school performance in children
Another study, in this case carried out by a group of researchers from Vrije University (Holland), relates the best cognitive performance of children to their level of physical activity
But there are more studies that corroborate the statement that physical activity influences children’s school performance. According to the University of North Texas, a healthy heart and lungs have a beneficial impact on children’s reading and math skills. Which could indicate that cardiovascular exercise improves both school skills. For this reason, the director of the study, Trent A. Petrie, recommends that schools “review their physical education policies, since including more hours per week of this subject could have a beneficial effect on the performance of their students.”
On the other hand, research from the Autonomous University of Madrid, led by Irene Esteban-Cornejo, analyzed data from 2,038 Spanish children aged 6 to 8 years. The results showed that cardiorespiratory capacity and motor ability correlated positively with academic performance both independently and in combination.
