Visit the National Academies Press online and register for

Educating the Student Body
Much of the evidence to date relating physical activity to health comes 
from cross-sectional studies showing associations between physical activity 
and aspects of physical health; nonetheless, the available observational pro-
spective data support what the cross-sectional evidence shows. Conducting 
exercise training studies with young children is very challenging, so experi-
mental evidence for the effects of physical activity on biological, behav-
ioral, and psychosocial outcomes is limited for this population. It has been 
shown, however, that older children, especially adolescents, derive much 
the same health benefits from physical activity as young adults.
In addition to long-term health benefits, an emerging literature sup-
ports acute health benefits of physical activity for children and adolescents. 
Physical activity in children is related to lower adiposity, higher muscular 
strength, improved markers of cardiovascular and metabolic health, and 
higher bone mineral content and density. Physical activity in youth also 
can improve mental health by decreasing and preventing conditions such as 
anxiety and depression and enhancing self-esteem and physical self-concept.
Although evidence is less well developed for children than adults, 
a growing body of scientific literature indicates a relationship between 
vigorous- and moderate-intensity physical activity and the structure and 
functioning of the brain. Both acute bouts and steady behavior of vigorous- 
and moderate-intensity physical activity have positive effects on brain 
health. More physically active children demonstrate greater attentional 
resources, have faster cognitive processing speed, and perform better on 
standardized academic tests. Of course, academic performance is influenced 
by other factors as well, such as socioeconomic status, and understanding 
of the dose-response relationship among vigorous- and moderate-intensity 
physical activity, academic performance, and classroom behavior is not well 
developed. Nevertheless, the evidence warrants the expectation that ensur-
ing that children and adolescents achieve at least the recommended amount 
of vigorous- and moderate-intensity physical activity may improve overall 
academic performance.