Exercise Improves Grades

Exercise can help keep your kids fit. But now it looks like it might also help keep them smart as well.

Now that the kids are back to school, it'll soon be time for, yes, grades to come out. But now it looks like one way to help boost those grades could be exercise. It turns out this is another example of the overall health benefits of exercise, especially with children as their brains are developing.

A group of Dutch scientists combed through earlier research on more than 12,000 children from the United States, Canada and South Africa. These researchers found a huge connection between exercise and academic performance. As a matter of fact, they found the more physical activity children had, the better they did on test scores, especially in basic subjects like math, English and reading.

According to the authors of this study, part of the reason this might be happening is because exercise increases the blood and oxygen flow to the brain. This can help increase the hormones that reduce stress and at the same time bring on new nerve cells in the brain which help with academics.

So, in addition to hitting the books and doing their homework, make sure your kids get regular exercise this year. That won't just get them in shape, but might also translate to a better report card.