Here’s another benefit to being active. A new report from the New York City school system shows elementary- and middle-school students who are physically fit do better academically than their out-of-shape classmates. The study found students in the top third of the school system’s fitness scale had higher math and reading scores on average than students in the bottom third.

Want more News Nuggets? Follow me on Twitter!

Related posts

• Want your kids to have better grades? Get them moving!
• News Nugget: Can athletic seals help kids get moving?
• Fun Factor: Website gets kids moving!
• Fun Factor: Diet & Exercise Fun for Kids
• Exercise video games get kids moving

That’s right. Exercise is just what your kids need to do well in school, according to more and more research.

One study – presented at a recent American College of Sports Medicine meeting – shows the fittest group of students scored nearly 30 percent higher on standardized tests than the least fit group. And the least fit students had grades in four core classes that were 13 to 20 percent lower than all other kids.

Experts say exercise may boost academic performance in several ways that include: burning off pent-up energy and allowing kids to pay attention better; boosting self-esteem and mood; and increasing blood flow to the brain, which helps with memory and concentration.

So, not only will physical activity help stem the childhood obesity epidemic, it’ll also help kids’ education. Yay for exercise!

You can see more on the link between exercise and education here.

Related posts

• News Nugget: Fit kids get better grades
• Treeswing: Making a Healthy Difference
• Top 8 of ‘08 – a look back at the year’s headlines in food, fitness, and fat
• News Nugget: Mississippi has most obese kids; Oregon the least
• First Lady aims to end childhood obesity within a generation