Exercise: Kids Who Exercise In The Classroom Learn More, Study Suggests

Want to optimize your child's learning?

It might surprise you to learn that exercising during studies could help out.

New findings published in the journal Pediatrics showed that when 500 children in second and third grade--half of whom were given traditional studies and the other half who learned the same information, but with physical activity included--the group who put some exercise into the equation fared better.

"Previous research showed effects of recess and physical activity breaks," said lead study author Marijke Mullender-Wijnsma of the University of Gronigen in The Netherlands, via Fox News. "However, we think that the integration of physical activity into academic lessons will result in bigger effects on academic achievement."

During the two-year study, half of the students involved were taught active lessons involving both math and science three times a week for about 30 minutes. These children were between 7- and 8-years old and same-age counterparts just learned regular classroom lessons over the same time in a regular setting. 

The lessons used moderate and vigorous physical acitivty that's aimed at tasked involving both repetition and memory, such as math calculations and spelling, according to TheStar.com. Meanwhile, the student's academic levels were measured both before and after the study, as well as several times during. 

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