Schools around the country are cutting back their budgets this year and many great teachers are losing jobs. What subjects are first to go? Physical Education?

Well, a somewhat recent study by Dr. Fred Gage and his colleagues at the Salk Institute in San Diego have successfully proven that exercise increases neurogenesis. What is neurogenesis you ask? Neurogenesis is a process of the human and animal brain in which it produces new brain cells. The study was tested on mice and rats and the results were one-sided. The mice and rats that were allowed to exercise on a spinning wheel performed better hands down than the sedentary mice and rats on several IQ tests (mazes, for example). The results seemed to prove that even a small portion of exercise can make a difference and produce remarkable results.

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According to a study released by the Texas Education Agency, students who are physically fit are less likely to have disciplinary problems and more likely to do well in their academics.

The study was based on the annual physical fitness assessments of more than 2.4 million students in the Texas public school system. It found that an increase in exercise enhanced the students’ ability to learn. The evidence came in the form of higher scores by physically fit children on the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills.

As might be expected, attendance rates were higher for students who were physically fit. Also, the study found that fitness levels dropped with each passing grade level. Elementary-age children performed the best while high school had the lowest percentage of physically fit students.
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