Give your children the best chance of being successful and happy at school – play with them from an early age, and make sure they get a chance to be active for at least an hour every day.
Research has shown that children, who engage in regular physical activity, are better able to concentrate on their academic work.
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"Physically active children demonstrate increased alertness and attention spans, which can lead to improved academic performance," Jack Kern, an associate professor of kinesiology at the University of Arkansas in the USA, told HealthDayNews.
This remark was made in response to a study conducted in England. The researchers demonstrated that sedentary kids are not only at risk of getting fat, but that their grades may suffer too.
The study offered free lessons in a favourite sport to kids aged eight to 12. At the end of the study, the most active kids also scored the highest marks in their exams.
How the brain develops
But how does this mechanism work?
While the intricate workings of the brain haven't been completely figured out by scientists yet, it is a known fact that the brain isn't fully developed at birth.
According to a leaflet by Playball, a sport and movement development programme aimed at young children, early experiences in childhood influence brain development, as well as the capacity of the brain to organise information and to function properly.
The brain literally needs certain experiences to develop brain cells and interconnections between cells. Movement through play and physical activity is one of the most important ways to increase interconnections in the brain. Through these experiences, the brain also learns how to concentrate on specific tasks.
The role of the red blood cells
Physical activity also increases the amount of red blood cells in the body, according to Dr Karen Heath of the UCT/MRC Research Unit for Exercise Science and Sports Medicine.
These cells are the oxygen carriers in the blood. By increasing physical activity, kids will be increasing their blood flow. This is especially important to the brain and can have a definite impact on a child's ability to concentrate during exam times, for example.
School readiness considered
A child's ability to concentrate is also closely related to school readiness.
"In order to reach an acceptable level of school readiness and learning potential, it is of the utmost importance that children fulfil certain physical milestones," Dr Pienaar of the University of Potchefstroom's School of Biokinetic Studies, Recreation and Sports Science told Beeld.
Movement programmes can help teach socialisation skills and comprehension of cognitive concepts as well as problem solution. "The perceptual motor section of programmes contributes to an improved reading and writing adaptability," Pienaar says.
What to do
So, what can you do to improve your child's concentration skills through exercise? Here are a few guidelines:
Expose your child to many different sports and activities. And indulge their interests.
Show your child how to perform basic sporting skills, such as ball throwing, skipping and jumping.
Make sure that the exercise is fun – don't force your children to do activities that they don't enjoy.
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