Date of Award
Spring 2022
Document Type
Thesis
College
School of Unrestricted Education
Primary Advisor
Dr. Grace Veach
Abstract
A plethora of research and studies have been compiled on the benefits of physical activity in daily life, yet it is still lacking in the realm of education. Across all grade levels, an increase in physical activity would be beneficial to students’ academic performance and overall health. In education as a whole, there is a large amount of sedentary behavior associated with the classroom and learning. Elementary students have shorter attention spans than adults, and demand larger amounts of time for exercise and hands-on learning. Implementing short physical activity breaks or incorporating physical activity lessons create a better learning environment for these children. After such implementation, studies have shown their academic and classroom performance to increase. Included in this is more efficient brain function and higher productivity as a result of their brains being able to refocus. Including exercise at the college level is equally as important as in grade school. Research has demonstrated a sizeable decrease in the percentage of students receiving adequate amounts of physical activity from high school to college. This has remarkable effects on the remainder of their lives. By requiring physical activity credits to graduate, young adults will be encouraged to continue these healthy habits into their independent adult life.
Recommended Citation
Sierra, Isabella, "PHYSICAL ACTIVITY IN EDUCATION" (2022). Classical Conversations. 24.
https://firescholars.seu.edu/ccplus/24
Included in
Educational Administration and Supervision Commons, Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research Commons, Educational Methods Commons, Health and Physical Education Commons, Teacher Education and Professional Development Commons