HOW DOES EXERCISE & NUTRITION HELP ME IN SCHOOL?

You might be wondering how incorporating these lifestyle changes can benefit your performance in school and in daily life. Here you can find more benefits from the research studies we have found.

Why is Exercise Beneficial?

Students that are physically active tend to have better school attendance, grades, and memory.

According to a systematic review done on physical activity/fitness and its influence on cognition, learning, attention, and test scores in young students, the review found that there were positive indications that physical activity and fitness have benefits toward academic performance (Joseph E Donnelly, Charles H Hilman, Darla Castelli, Jennifer L Etnier, Sarah Lee, Phillip Tomporowski, Kate Lambourne, 2016).

Check out this TedTalk presented by John Ratey to see how the implementation of exercise has positively impacted many schools:

Why is Nutrition Beneficial?

Click Here to Read More

Improved Nutrition is shown to show potential benefits in students' academic performance and behavior.

According to the Healthy Food Choices in Schools Organization, improvements in nutrition are shown to increase brain function, behavior, test scores, and concentration. And lack of proper nutrients (vitamins and minerals) leads to a decrease in cognitive abilities and concentration.

To know more about how nutrition affects academic performance, click the link below and explore more of the Healthy Food Choices in Schools Organisation.

Why is Sleep Beneficial?

The amount of sleep college students receives is a strong determinant of academic success.

Many students lose sleep to get good grades, but research shows that students who sleep more get better grades. According to the NIH, there are four determinants of sleep; lifestyle factors, mental health factors, social factors and physical factors.

Students should get the proper amount of sleep so that they can stay focused, improve their concentration, and improve academic performance.

References

Donnelly, J. E., Hillman, C. H., Castelli, D., Etnier, J. L., Lee, S., Tomporowski, P., . . . Szabo-Reed, A. (2016). Physical activity, fitness, cognitive function, and academic achievement in children: A systematic review. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 48(6), 1197-1222. doi:10.1249/MSS.0000000000000901

Just, D. (2019). 3 ways nutrition influences student learning potential and school performance. Retrieved from https://healthy-food-choices-in-schools.extension.org/3-ways-nutrition-influences-student-learning-potential-and-school-performance/#:~:text=Good%20Nutrition%20helps%20students%20show,and%20attend%20class%20more%20frequently.

Wang, F., & Bíró, É. (2021). Determinants of sleep quality in college students: A literature review. Explore (New York, N.Y.), 17(2), 170–177. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.explore.2020.11.003