Many experts in health are saying that exercise is good for the body and mind. The famous cliché that a sound body creates a sound mind may indeed be true, according to researchers. A new study says that kids who are physically fit do better in school especially in math.
Specifically, scientists have discovered for the first time that aerobic fitness can enhance children's math skills. This helps them in the development of their brain structures. Researchers from the University of Illinois, tested their theory on a group of children ages 9 to 10 years old. They aim to test these kids health both mentally through math and reading exams and physically, through endurance tests.
The results revealed that physically fit kids scored better in their math test than other who were 'low-fit'. Laura Chaddock-Heyman, postdoctoral researcher at the University of Illinois told Financial Express, "Grey-matter thinning is the sculpting of a fully formed, healthy brain. The theory is that the brain is pruning away unnecessary connections and strengthening useful connections." Healthy and fit kids have lesser or thinner sections of grey matter in their front lobe signifying better brain maturation.
The frontal lobe or cortex is the part of the brain responsible for academic performance. Specifically, it consists of the working memory that is used in solving math problems and critical thinking.
However, schools are not implementing programs that can add exercise to these kids' everyday activities in school. "The vast majority of schools were not serving kids in terms of their physical activity needs," said Charles H. Hillman, professor of kinesiology and community health at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign said in a statement, reports CNN.
According to Art Kramer, director of the Beckman Institute for Science and Technology, University of Illinois, the next step that they need to do is to "establish a causal relationship between brain changes, changes in physical fitness and changes in cognition and school achievement"
