6 reasons to encourage physical activity among students at your school

Physical activity is an essential part of a healthy lifestyle. It can help young people develop strength, endurance and coordination. It also keeps them fit and plays an important role in happiness levels.

But not all students are naturally active. In fact, they spend an average of 50% to 70% of their time sitting during the school day. So how can you encourage them to get moving? Here are 6 reasons why you should encourage the young people in your school to engage in regular physical activity.

Because sport is played with other people, it enables young people to form bonds with their classmates. These bonds have a positive effect on academic success. Having something in common with them is also a good way to develop a sense of belonging to a group.

What’s more, by taking part in a sporting activity, students develop certain skills that enable them to maintain and nurture these bonds. For example, they learn to interact as a team, respect others, encourage their teammates, share victories and defeats alike, and recognize the value of effort.

Physical activity is a key component of good health. It can reduce the risk of heart disease, diabetes and even certain cancers. Physical activity has several effects on the mental health of athletes. It improves mental health and well-being, reduces the risk of obesity and helps control weight. This means that students who are physically active are more likely to grow up healthy.

Physical activity improves self-esteem and self-confidence. Indeed, students who take part in sport will feel better mentally, as well as physically. Feeling better about oneself has a positive impact on self-confidence.

When students feel good about themselves, they are more likely to succeed at school and in life in general. What’s more, those who are physically active also tend to be more outgoing and confident than their sedentary peers.

It’s no secret that young people have a lot of energy and need to expend it. Physical activity during the day is a great way to improve learning conditions.

It’s a proven fact that the more we move, the better our brains work. In fact, research shows that physical activity increases blood flow to the brain. This promotes memory and concentration, while increasing oxygen intake.

Exercise also helps to keep the mind sharp. With better powers of concentration, the student will assimilate more material. This has a direct impact on academic performance.

Physical activity can be an excellent way of reducing anxiety and depression. In fact, several studies have shown that regular physical activity is associated with lower levels of depression in both children and adults. So encouraging them to be more active can help them feel better, and may even make them less likely to experience feelings of sadness or stress in general.

All the elements mentioned above play a considerable role in preventing school dropout. Students who take part in physical activity will feel better and have more self-confidence.

What’s more, taking part in a sport not only generates pride, it’s also a good way of getting rid of excess energy. As a result, physically active students will be much more motivated at school. As lack of motivation is one of the causes of dropping out of school, it’s a factor to be taken into consideration.

There are many ways to encourage students to be physically active, such as taking part in extracurricular activities at school. It’s also possible to allow students who don’t participate in an organized sport or activity to meet informally at lunchtime each day to play active games together, such as basketball, dance rope or tag. This will give students who don’t want to take part in an organized sport the chance to stay active while avoiding team sports if they don’t want to.