Do you remember gym class fondly or were you a kid who wanted to hide in the back when it came time to pick teams? Whatever your feelings on gym class, we’d wager that most people didn’t see gym class as having a real impact on academics when they were in school. However, research shows that “physical activity is associated with better academic performance, as measured by higher GPAs and better scores on standardized tests.”
In the news last week were reports that even as concern over childhood obesity grows in our country, schools are providing less time for physical education.
Then there’s this article about how one study has linked childhood obesity to poorer math performance.
Should we be concerned about how much time students are given for physical education? Or do you think that academic instruction is still more important?