Middle school students might perform better in classes if they engage in physical activity during the day, according to MSU research.
The researchers found that grades were 10 percent higher for students who were taking physical education classes, said Jim Pivarnik, a professor of kinesiology, epidemiology and physical medicine and rehabilitation, who helped conduct the study.
The researchers used a western Michigan middle school where some students took physical education during the first semester and the rest of the students took it during second semester, said Dawn Coe, an assistant professor of movement science at Grand Valley State University, who was also involved in the study.
"We did physical fitness tests, such as an aerobic test, muscular strength, endurance and flexibility, and we also looked at their grades for both semesters and a standardized test," she said.
Some said middle school physical education programs are important, but the reason to have them shouldn't be because it supports academics alone.
"There are many benefits to be derived from a well-orchestrated middle school physical education program that extend far beyond boosting academic performance in other content areas," said Robert Benham, an assistant professor of kinesiology.
"A comprehensive middle school P.E. experience will help to develop attitudes toward physical activity that may help promote very important lifelong health-promoting habits of a physically active lifestyle, which is the ultimate objective of a physical education program."
Coe and Pivarnik both said their research can't be applied to students who aren't in middle school, but they think that physical education is a step in the right direction.
"I don't want to speculate, but other studies have shown that when kids are more active, they tend to be more focused, which could improve their grades in school," Coe said. "Middle school is where kids tend to become more obese, so it'd be more helpful for them to have that activity during the day."
Coe, who is working on getting more physical education programs set up in school districts around western Michigan, said it's important to develop healthy habits at a younger age.
"It's great that people are taking (the study) seriously because it seems that physical education is the first thing to go (when budgets are cut)," she said. "But since we're starting to see the importance of kids developing healthy habits and leading an active life, we are starting to see that it might improve their academic performance, which probably could lead to better things later in life."
