Physical exercise is also an excellent tonic for the neurons of children and young people. Physical activity in children helps improve academic performance. This improvement, which increases the more they exercise, could be due to increased blood and oxygen flow to the brain, among other benefits.
Physical activity influences children's academic performance, with the benefit increasing with the amount of exercise they do. According to studies, the link between physical activity and academic performance may be due to the fact that exercise appears to increase the flow of blood and oxygen to the brain, nourishing and strengthening this organ.
“Children who learn to participate in sports activities also learn to obey rules. This could mean that they are more disciplined and able to concentrate better during the study,” explains pediatrician Jenny Alvarado. For this expert, the relationship between physical activity and academic performance must be analyzed, given the fear that the pressure to obtain better grades could lead many children to dedicate more time to studying, neglecting their physical activity.
This fear has dissipated, as a “significant positive relationship” was found between physical activity and academic performance. Additionally, experts note that exercise reduces stress and improves mood, making children more likely to behave better in the classroom.
There are several hypotheses about the mechanisms by which exercise is beneficial for cognition. One of them is that playing sports improves heart function and lung capacity and that the brain receives an increase in oxygen. Another mentions the increase in levels of the hormones endorphins and norepinephrine, which reduces stress levels and improves mood.
Sport facilitates an increase in growth factors that help create new nerve cells, which stimulates synaptic plasticity (connection between neurons), hence, according to the aforementioned study, children who practice sports regularly get better grades and They do more homework, compared to those students who do not do regular physical exercise.
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Playing sports reduces the percentage of children who dislike going to school and fosters greater respect among students for both teachers and classmates, generally improving classroom relationships. Furthermore, exercise can be especially beneficial for children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), a behavioral disorder characterized by moderate to severe distractibility, short attention spans, restlessness, emotional instability, and impulsive behavior.
NOTE: Exercise facilitates an increase in growth factors that help create new nerve cells.
