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The effects of athletic participation on academic achievement
Physical education and academic performance
Regular exercise reduces stress
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As a student, have you ever wonder how to improve on academic performance? Do you believe other activities rather than studying itself can improve academic performance? Majority of the students nowadays have always believed studying continuously would enhance their academic result and where physical activities during academic years would have negative aspects towards them. However, studies have proven that the above statement is incorrect. Thus, in this essay, I am going to discuss the positive relationship between physical activities and academic performance through stress relief, social interaction and effects on cognitive functions.
Physical activity in school can provide stress relief and prevent from burnout towards students. Numerous studies have been published and proven that exercising can reduce stress and maintain mental fitness. According to Mayo Clinic, exercise and stress relief can escalate the
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Through physical activity, students are able to make friends and build networks through teamwork in sports. In the article “What are the benefits of physical education in school?” written by Alison Datko, it notes group activities may allow children at a young age to learn to be cooperative and “to form a positive sense of identity as part of a team.” This means students are allowed to perform leadership and encourage them to be involved in group activities. Moreover, as stated in Harvard Health Publications on “exercising to relax”, when your body is engaged in exercising, it can provide moments to be distracted from all of the overloaded and stressful daily life that exists and allow to enjoy and be free at the moment in which people are able to think creatively. Therefore, physical activity in school can benefit students from having a positive sense of identity and higher level of
The book begins by explaining how important exercise and being active is to our health and well-being. The author then transitions into a story about Naperville Central High School. This high school was in the forefront of a revolutionary new concept that involved vigorous exercise of its students instead of a traditional gym class. This new approach stimulated new research on the brain, and the effects of exercise on the well being of our body and minds. After the introduction of the new fitness programs, the school’s students showed drastic increases in standardized tests, and on normal tests as well.
Sports help them stay in shape because, the Aspen Institute, a nonprofit organization that does humanistic studies, said, “Exercise is one of the least expensive ways to stay healthy, with one study finding that exercise can prevent chronic diseases as effectively as medication,” (Aspen Institute). One of the many benefits of playing sports is that the children will build character. Building character is important because with character they will make new friends and develop different skills. Playing sports at a young age can build character in many ways, “Playing sports at a young age enables children to participate in social interactions and build skills such as teamwork, leadership, and responsibility as they learn to work with others to achieve a common goal,” (Aspen Institute).
Over the past decades our culture has changes dramatically. To which our nation was once a physically active nation. Yet now it seems that society discourages physical activity. The human race has been dependent on automobiles, discouraging people to walk or bike, increasing the chance of a poor life-style. Yet there are many factors that affect the achievement and maintenance of a healthy life. Young people are growing into a diverse society, which is characterized by rapid change, inactive work and leisure practices that influence unhealthy behaviors. By incorporating physical activity into peoples daily routine will increase their chances of being healthier, reducing certain diseases and learning how to avoid injuries. Physical education helps students improve their knowledge about health issues and practices that will lead to a more enjoyable life. Students playing and working in a team together develop social skills, teamwork, achieving goals, and development of self-esteem. Overall physical education provides the potential for a better life style.
In today’s society, having a good education ensures a stable and prosperous future. Much pressure is inflicted upon students in order to have excellent grades, thus resulting in less time for extracurricular activities, such as sport. However, does consistent physical activity ensure an improved academic performance among peers at Marianopolis? Research has shown that being involved in fitness does improve grades. People who, in school, do not participate in extracurricular affairs tend to obtain lower grades than people who participate in sports. This subject is particularly interesting for students. It encourages them to practice more sports so that their grades could go up. Indeed, we believe that physical activity does in fact have a positive consequence on academic performance. In fact, research studies show a lot of correlation between physical activity and good grades at school. To that effect, a very interesting study by Professor Eric DeMeulenaere proves that students who participate in an extracurricular activity such as sports increase his or her chance for greater academic success. It has also been proven, that confidence plays a significant part in student’s academic standing. According to DeMeulenaere (2010), confidence can greatly encourage teenagers to participate in a sports team. Therefore, their academic performance will rise. This is relevant to our study because we are also interested in the happiness and confidence of Marianopolis students. Similarly, a study by several researchers demonstrates the positive effect PE classes could have on grades. Again, physical activity leads to greater self-esteem during school. (Sollerhed 2005). Another study completed in 2005 demonstrated a strong correlation between fit...
Opponents of physical education in schools state that gym is not the best way to utilize students’ time. Students’ should be given the choice to participate in gym class or not because many students aren’t as athletic and don’t enjoy it enough to want to do it in school. Despite this downfall, PE is important in students’ life and even though some don’t enjoy it as much, they need it in order to be successful in life. If not, diseases and health risks could come up and it wouldn’t be robust. Ultimately, physical education provides superior benefits.
Sports programs have been an integral part of all schools. They support the academics of the school and therefore foster success in life. These programs are educational and help produce productive citizenship. They help students experience and build skills that may help them in their future, like interpersonal and time management skills. Education may kindle the light of knowledge, but sports help to maintain the proper physique. Sports are also an important means of entertainment and a use for energy after long hours of study. Sports increase a student’s performance not only in the classroom but also in their life.
As a teacher my primary goal is to maximize student success. For me to accomplish that I need to create an atmosphere where students are enthusiastic and intrinsically motivated. Even though we do live in an extrinsic world, students need to have an attitude of doing things for themselves. Physical activity is a great way to demonstrate intrinsic rewards. By participating in regular physical activity students can reap the rewards of helping another succeed, giving complete devotion, increasing both health and skill related fitness, and also getting their own endorphins flowing. In life it is important to learn to to work well with others and team sports are a great way to incorporate ...
Working out can help with one’s studies. There are different chemicals that are given off to your brain while you work out. Endorphins and Serotonin chemicals get released into the brain. These two chemicals that flood the brain improve self-esteem, enhanced mood, provide better memory and provide mental functioning, and a decrease of stress. Therefore, exercise helps in school and everything throughout the
Life is full of troubles, demands, pressures and hassles—these are all factors related to stress. Stress is a state of mental or emotional tension resulting from adverse or difficult situations (Merriam-Webster). When you are in potential danger, your body responds with a “fight-or-flight” response to protect you from any harm. Situations like being robbed at gunpoint or studying last minute the night before the test can activate stress in your body. Although situations in life can increase stress, there are plenty of methods to diminish it. Methods like meditating, talking to family/friends, drinking tea, or even taking a quick nap--all of these methods are proven effective (The Franklin Institute). One method that is prominent to many is physical exercise. Exercise is considered to improve physical conditions and strength, but maintains mental fitness in the process. Although many assume that exercising is healthy, some may not be familiar of how it relieves stress in detail. In order to evaluate the effectiveness of exercise, the pros and cons must be considered. Some pros are: managing the levels of stress in your body, boosting your self-esteem, and improving learning and memory. The cons are: being time consuming and tedious, being costly and expensive, and risking injury while exercising. Let’s look at the pros of physical activity.
...ifferent sports and activities from various cultures. Good sportsmanship makes students respect each other, and makes the lessons and activities more enjoyable. If the students perform some skills better than others, then they could help out those who have not quite mastered the skill. This helps with the social aspect of physical education. Working in cooperative groups allows for the students to come up with strategies, strategies that will help knock down the castle or to pass the ball five times before they can score in an activity.
Playing and getting exercise is crucial to your health and can cut down on childhood obesity which could also help prevent it in adulthood. Exercise, movement, any physical activity will have a direct impact on the behavior and the development of the brain. It’s simple really, increased oxygen flow to the brain aids in focus and function, exercise increases brain neurotransmitters. Any of these that will increase the ability of the brain, is an obvious benefit to learning and growing as a student. Many schools are cutting physical education in order to support a more rigorous academic schedule even though there have been studies to prove this theory
Physical development also supports a child’s personal social and emotional development. If a child can participate in physical activity they learn about the environment around them. By being able to participate in team sports a child can increase in confidence and control (Nurse, 2009).
The benefits of sports range from physical, mental, and social. Exercise keeps people fit, develops healthy muscle tone, and reduces heart and lung problems (Oak, Manali). Sports studies have shown that “youth are motivated and engaged in ways that do not happen regularly in any other parts of their lives. Their experience of sports stands out from nearly all other activities, including socializing and schoolwork, in providing enjoyment where they are exerting concerted effort toward a goal” (Larson, Reed, and Sean Seepersad). People who play sports bond over a common interest. This opens up children to meeting new kids and socializing with many more. In Kindergarten, I played baseball. Even though I did not truly understand all the mechanics of the game, I met new friends and began to develop motor skills. This was very useful starting at an early age and pushed me to stay active throughout my life.
“Physical education plays a critical role in educating the whole student. Research supports the importance of movement in educating both mind and body. Physical education contributes directly to development of physical competence and fitness. It also helps students to make informed choices and understand the value of leading a physically active lifestyle. The benefits of physical education can affect both academic learning and physical activity patterns of students. The healthy, physically active student is more likely to be academically motivated, alert, and successful. … Throughout the school years, quality physical education can promote social, cooperative and problem solving competencies. Quality physical education programs in our
“Children who exercise regularly have higher levels of self-esteem.” (Brown, W.J. & Brown P.R., 1996, p19). Teaching Physical Education can have immediate health benefits as it helps normalise body weight and body composition. Physical activity also promotes positive mental health. Both immediate outcomes may be useful in motivating physical activity practices so that they have long term benefits. One of the main benefits of physical activity is that “it keeps children involved and that it invariably makes you feel good.” (Brown, W.J. & Brown P.R., 1996, p19). Getting the correct amount of Physical activity in school hours will decrease the rates of obesity and will reduce the risk of diabetes, asthma, heart disease and other health related illness’. Regular exercise for children also helps their cardiovascular health and bone development. There is also evidence that Physical Activity has a positive effect on mental health in children, including reducing anxiety and depression and improving their mood. However, there is some evidence that for children who don’t enjoy Physical Education it can have a negative impact on their self-esteem and