Does working out help students perform better in their classes? The short answer is yes, working out can help students in many ways.
Research shows that physical activity/ gym time can help impact students and their academic performance.
There are many reasons why this may help with performances in the classroom. The actual scientific reasoning behind this is that it helps to improve cognitive functions and abilities. Some of these functions include concentration, memory, attention span and energy. According to the Vance County Schools, “Students who are physically active tend to have better grades, school attendance, cognitive performance (e.g., memory), and classroom behaviors (e.g., on-task behavior).” Physical activity can provide students with more motivation and a sense of accomplishment. It can also help to reduce stress and anxiety which can be helpful in a more anxiety inducing environment like school. Another benefit that comes when you work out is that you release endorphins. This is a natural chemical that improves your mood, and when you are in a good mood you tend to get more done and be more motivated/productive.
Many would disagree with the statement that working out can help to increase your academic performance. They believe that it takes away studying time, or it is in general just a major waste of time. But this is in fact not true, if you manage your time properly it should not be an issue. Many also believe that working out can not help to increase things like concentration. The people who believe this have a messed up idea of cognitive benefits because the main factor in an increase in performance is the cognitive benefits.
There are many different ways that we can fix this. We can take charge and choose to educate more students on the benefits of physical activity. This could help to change the mindsets of the students. This could help to increase academic outcomes like grades, test scores, homework scores, etc.
Overall, working out helps students perform better in all their classes. It can increase their cognitive skills like being able to concentrate and perform better. It helps to release endorphins which will overall help to improve mood and happiness.
