.:Re-post... "The New Vitamin E: Exercise, good for your body, good for your brain"...:
Wednesday, May 19, 2010 I've decided to re-post this from a few months ago cause I was thinking about it, it's important, and the links are still hot...
In case anybody needed another reason to exercise on the regular, it's here now; it makes you smarter. Recent research has shown that physical activity in a variety of forms has an acute positive impact on school grades. (My guess it that there's a chronic effect too!) Click the link to read a great article from last weekend's Globe.
What splendid timing! Toronto has just won a successful 2015 pan am games bid, the games are coming to Toronto, meaning provincial and municipal funds will be earmarked towards sports infrastructure and facilities. Now instead of headlines about closing pools and skating rinks, and no time for phys-ed in elementary schools, we should be reading about an adoption of a new attitude towards activity. It's not an extra thing to do everyday, it's not too hard or only for those who are sporty and spandex clad. Daily exercise is for everyone, and instead of prescribing drugs for type II diabetes, ADHD, cholesterol, high blood pressure and myriad other lifestyle related illnesses, we need to consider what choices and lifestyle practices can make our communities healthier, fitter, and now - smarter and more productive too! I don't think prescription-exercise is the best solution. Then it becomes work, another obligatory to-do, and not something we're inclined to enjoy, maintain, and pass on to our kids. It's time for an attitude shift, instead.
Build facilities and hire good coaches to run them, they'll get filled because kids like to play.
Phys-ed isn't a privilege for kids lucky enough to attend a school with a yard, gymnasium or proper funding. It's a right, and certainly just as important as math, science, english and the humanities, including the recent headlining "how to be the CFO of kindergarten" save the future economy scheme.
In fact, sport and play opportunities are not just "as important" as every other subject in school, we now know that they're complimentary and symbiotic. Get kids active and you won't only watch their grades go up, watch them become more motivated, productive, proactive, happy, and healthy too.
The bad news is, there is competition. I'm not referring to the variety found in an opposing team, I'm talking about all the reasons not to exercise. There are more out there now than when I was in grade school, and astronomically more than when my parents were. The tv, x-box, and laptop machine is winning this battle, unfortunately. Sure we had video games in the early 90's, but they were pretty boring compared to the ones out there now, you could finish Mario 3 after dinner and still have enough daylight for a rollerblade around the block. Now kids live in these games; they actually are a mercenary killing aliens (illegal and extraterrestrial), they can do impossibly sick skateboard tricks, they can thieve grand autos and drive a Lambourgini Legerra at 200mph, in high def and online. No matter how many hours I logged on sega genesis, I didn't actually think I was a blue hedgehog capable of supersonic velocities - cause it was only 64bits!
Help change our attitude problem; encourage healthy and active living by leading as a good example for our youth. Encourage play, if your school or your kids' school isn't teaching and encouraging phys-ed, complain! At the very least, read that article from the Globe or check out this book.
TV sucks, go outside and ride your bike!
Reader Comments (2)
The information on this article is so true. Personally i graduated in bachelorof accountancy, management and also as a teacher. During my university years i also kept kayaking training and now been doing it for 7 years. In my recent club opening i encourage students to excel in both sports and school. . . the average marks attained are in B+'sand A's not to mention that my athletes are always with the top students in the class!!
Good goin mate!
Chris
Malta
Great view. Completely agree - love the quote, "TV sucks, go outside and ride your bike!". Parents need to lead by example!