Research Supports the Link between Health and Academic Achievement
Research continues to support the link between health and academic achievement. According to a new report, information from New York City’s Health Department and Department of Education (DOE) highlights that physically fit students tend to outscore their peers who are less-fit on academic tests. The observation comes from an analysis of data from the NYC FITNESSGRAM, the comprehensive fitness assessment that New York City public school students participate in each year as part of their physical education instruction.
Fitness has been proven to promote a longer, healthier life. Although these new findings do not demonstrate a direct cause-and-effect relationship, they do show a strong association between fitness and academic success. During the 2007-2008 school year, students who scored in the top 5% on their NYC FITNESSGRAM assessments outscored the bottom 5% by an average of 36 percentile points on standardized academic tests.
How to help children be fit and develop healthy eating habits:
- Make sure kids get at least 60 minutes of physical activity each day. Fun activities work best – try bicycling, dancing, jumping rope, playing tag or basketball, or going for a walk.
- Limit children’s TV, video game and Internet use to no more than two hours a day.
- Prepare healthful meals at home. Offer children fruits and vegetables at every meal and snack, encouraging 5-9 fruits and vegetables each day.
- Encourage children to choose water and low-fat milk, not high-calorie, sugar-sweetened beverages.