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Spending Time At The Gym Linked To Higher GPAs In College

Originally published  July 12 in Medical Daily.

By Lecia Bushak

Research out of Michigan State University (MSU) has found a link between exercise and higher GPAs in college students. It’s not a surprising finding, as plenty of research exists highlighting the mental, physical, and even emotional benefits of working out.

The study discovered that students who were members of recreational sports and fitness centers at Michigan State during their freshman and sophomore years had higher GPAs than students who weren’t. The researchers also found that students who had memberships at the gym were less likely to drop out of school — there was an increase of 3.5 percent in two-year retention rates among the members. Read More

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PE-lovers, rejoice: Program offers phys-ed summer classes

Originally published July 23, 2019 in the Pamplin News-Times.

By Wade Evanson

I love golf. You may love ice cream. But according to Hillsboro physical education instructors Neill Twigg and Steve Johnson, we both love PE.

Ten years ago, Twigg, who teaches at Patterson Elementary, and Johnson, who teaches at Orenco Elementary, started a business called Everybody Loves PE! You may wonder why two teachers who normally have the summer off would choose to spend their three-month vacation doing what they do the other nine months of the year. But to these two physical education enthusiasts, it’s really pretty simple. Read More

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Early-Morning Heart Rate Training Programs Prepare Students for Academic Success

Teachers find students who complete at least 20 minutes of vigorous exercise before school are more ready to meet their toughest academic challenges.

By studying the physiology of brain development during activity and pairing that with academic assessments, teachers have developed a formula for success. From Paul Zientarski and Phil Lawler in the early 2000s to University of Illinois-Urbana researcher Shih-Chun Kao’s 2016 findings, PE teachers are helping students boost their academic achievement. Read More

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How kids can move more at school, Nordic style

Originally published July 8, 2019 in The Conversation.

Inactivity in school children has been in the news again with the release of a study into the health of Australian 11 and 12-year-olds from around the country.

The 1,800 person study found most children were healthy. But there was room for improvement in areas including physical activity and weight. Read More