Cognitive Benefits of
Physical Education:
Making Connections with
Brain Research
Balance disturbances can impair
brain processing structures
involved w/ attention, memory,
vision, auditory perception,
reading, speech, movement,
spatial orientation, sequencing
and complex mathematical
relationships.
Balance Boards
Hoppity Hops
Spinning
Swings
Brain Mats
Body Tubes
Stilts
Gonge Cup
Merry-Go-Rounds
Skateboards/Skating
Why Exercise Works!!
• Blood pumping through our bodies,
enables our brain to function at it’s best.
• Physical activity builds and conditions
the brain.
• No more GYM Teacher…but,
BRAIN TRAINERS!!!
Results of INACTIVITY
• 65% of adults and 1 in 3 children are overweight.
• Inactivity kills our brains---physically,
shriveling them up through lack of use!!
• We treat the mind and the body as if
they were separate…they are not!!!
• Our bodies need to work hard to keep
our brains in peak performance
• Exercise cues the building blocks of learning in the brain.
Ratey
1995 began the
avalanche of
studies on the
effect of
exercise and
the brain.
Brain Rule #1 Exercise Boosts Brain Power
Can WE Change
the Brains of our
Students’?
Our experiences
at school will change the
brain in some way!
HOW DOES THE BRAIN CHANGE?
Eric Jenson
How we grow new brain cells
through physical activity!
BDNF=
Miracle-Gro which
Fosters Plasticity
• Brain plasticity refers to the capacity
of the brain to modify its structure and
function as a result of the interaction
with the environment.
• CODE FOR LEARNING
• BDNF is really the brain's wonder
drug.
• BDNF functions to translate activity
into synaptic & cognitive
connections.
Ratey
Research concludes…exercise is strongly
correlated with increased brain mass,
better cognition, mood regulation and
new cell production.
“As physical educators,
we create the brain cells.
It’s up to other teacher’s to fill them”
Ratey
“The greatest fallacy in American education today is that
dropping physical education will improve academic
performance.”
CONNECTION #3
Why is Rhythm Important
 The foundation for language
comes from hearing a beat
and copying the rhythm
 Everything involves rhythm
 A child that can keep a rhythm…
can learn to read!
Rhythmic Activities
Cup Passing Game
Jump Rope Rhymes
Alphabet Clap
Criss-Cross Cla
CONNECTION #4
I. Physical Education is positively related
to increased academic performance.
I. Physical Education does not influence
academic performance in a negative
manner.
II. Reducing time in physical education
does not guarantee improvement in
academics.
I. Physical Education is positively
related to increased academic
performance.
 CDE studies consistently show that students with higher fitness scores
also have higher test scores.
 In 2004, a panel of noted researchers supported the findings of the
CDE study and added that physical activity has a positive influence on
memory, concentration and classroom behavior.
 1977 Trois-Rivieres study looked at the effect of PE on children as
they moved from 1st – 6th grade where academic performance proved
to be significantly higher in those exposed to daily PE.
II. Physical Education does not
influence academic performance
in a negative manner.
Exercise improves cognition in school children. Aerobic
exercise (as well as BMI) was related to achievement in
reading and math (Castelli, D., 2007).
School Health, Academic Performance and Exercise
study found the academic achievement did not differ for
students that spent over four times longer in physical
education and significantly less time in academic
classes (Dwyer , et al, 1983).
III. Reducing time in physical
education does not guarantee
improvement in academics.
Increasing time in physical education does not
negatively influence academic achievement &
decreasing time in PE will not ensure that children
perform any better in the classroom (Wilkens,Graham, et.
Al., 2003).
Sacrificing physical education for classroom
time does not improve academic performance.
(Shepard, Dwyer, Sallis, Ahamed, Coe…1996-2007)
Programs that support
active brains & active bodies:
Naperville Central High School, Naperville, Il
file://localhost/Users/debbies/Desktop/Pumpingup thebrain.html
Woodland Elementary School, Kansas City, MO.
Copenhagen, Denmark
Fittest School in the Nation???
Naperville, IL
Every student at Madison Junior High
completes a computer-based fitness test.
Students spend one day a week in the school's state-of-the-art fitness center.
A revolutionary PE program has transformed the student body body into perhaps the fittest in
the nation with Zero hour PE.
Among one entire sophomore class, only 3% were overweight,
versus the national average of 30%.
In 1999, Naperville District 203 scored #1 in science and #6 in math on TIMSS
(Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study)
Ratey
Woodland Elementary School
Woodland Elementary School
2005 Fall
PE one day per week /50 minutes.
2006 Jan - June
PE4life Program
Five days a week /45 minutes.
Inner city school with 80% of kids on
free lunch program.
PE4LIFE added
Cardiac monitored watches,
Dance Dance Revolution,
A few exercise bicycles/fitness machines.
AND A NEW ATTITUDE!!
Ratey
Johannes Skolen
Copenhagen, Denmark
•
School PE was increased from once a week to 5 times a week for 250
students for three months.
•
ABSENTEEISM decreased by 38%.
•
CONCENTR ATION ABILITY was measured and it improved 33%.
•
Teachers reported, “The increase in exercise had great effects on
CLASSROOM BEHAVIOR.”
•
Exercise had a major impact on GRADES; there was an average of 1.5
grade improvement across the board.
Ratey
The brain is involved
in everything we do
at school… to ignore
it is irresponsible!!!
Cognitive Benefits of
Physical Education:
Making Connections with
Brain Research
Debbie Smith
Clemson University
Clemson, SC
Stevens@Clemson.edu
Samantha Jackson
Ware Shoals Primary School
Ware Shoals, SC
sjackson@gwd51.k12.sc.us
REFERENCES