Research on the Benefits of Physical Activity for Schools​

---

​Research on this page addresses the various benefits physical activity and fitness has for students and schools. All articles on this page are available to download as PDFs.

• Absenteeism
• Academic Performance
• Classroom Behavior
• Grief/Trauma
• Immune System

• Loneliness
• Mental Health
• Pain Tolerance
• Self Esteem
• Sleep

• Social Behavior
• Stress
• Substance Abuse
• Temperature Regulation
• Vision

Absenteeism and Physical Activity

1. Associations Between Health-Related Physical Fitness, Academic Achievement and Selected Academic Behaviors of Elementary and Middle School Students in the State of Mississippi
2. ​Association Between Increased BMI and Severe School Absenteeism Among US Children and Adolescents
3. ​​Individual-Level Fitness and Absenteeism in New York City Middle School Youths, 2006–2013
4. Physical Activity and Risk of Infection, Severity and Mortality of Covid-19: A Systematic Review and Non-linear Dose–Response Meta-Analysis
5. The Association Between Fitness and School Test Scores, Attendance, and Discipline Among Mississippi Students
6. The Association of Health-Related Fitness and Chronic Absenteeism Status in New York City Middle School Youth
7. ​The Association of Obesity and School Absenteeism Attributed to Illness or Injury Among Adolescents in the United States
8. The Connection Between Missing School and Health: A Review of Chronic Absenteeism and Student Health in Oregon​

Academic Performance​ and Physical Activity

1. Additional Research Lists: Action Based Learning, CDC, and ​​SPARK.
2. A Better Cardiopulmonary Fitness Is Associated with Improved Concentration Level and Health-Related Quality of Life in Primary School Children
3. A Longitudinal Examination of the Link Between Youth Physical Fitness and Academic Achievement
4. A Review of Acute Physical Activity Effects on Brain and Cognition in Children
5. A Systematic Review and Bayesian Meta Analysis Provide Evidence for an Effect of Acute Physical Activity on Cognition in Young Adults
6. ​​A Whole Brain Volumetric Approach in Overweight/Obese Children: Examining the Association with Different Physical Fitness Components and Academic Performance
7. Active Education: Growing Evidence on Physical Activity and Academic Performance
8. Aerobic Fitness and Academic Achievement: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis​
9. An Investigation of the Effects of Daily Physical Activity on the Health of Primary School Students in South Australia
10. An Umbrella Review of Randomized Control Trials on the Effects of Physical Exercise on Cognition
11. Associations of Physical Fitness and Academic Performance Among Schoolchildren
12. ​Be Smart, Exercise Your Heart: Exercise Effects on Brain and Cognition
13. Beneficial Effects of Acute Exercise on Executive Function in Adolescents
14. Boost your Brain, While Having a Break! The Effects of Long-Term Cognitively Engaging Physical Activity Breaks on Children’s Executive Functions and Academic Achievement
15. Brief Aerobic Exercise Immediately Enhances Visual Attentional Control and Perceptual Speed
16. Cardiovascular Risk Factor Trajectories Since Childhood and Cognitive Performance in Midlife​
17. ​​Effect of Classroom-Based Physical Activity Interventions on Academic and Physical Activity Outcomes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
18. Effect of Extracurricular After-School Physical Activities on Academic Performance of Schoolchildren: A Cluster Randomized Clinical Trial
19. Effect of High- Intensity Interval Training on Hippocampal Metabolism in Older Adolescents
20. ​Effects of Acute and Chronic Exercises on Executive Function in Children and Adolescents: A Systemic Review and Meta-Analysis
21. Effects of Acute Physical Activity on NIH Toolbox-measured Cognitive Functions Among Children in Authentic Education Settings
22. Effects of an Exercise Program on Brain Health Outcomes for Children With Overweight or Obesity
23. Effects of Cognitively Engaging Physical Activity Interventions on Executive Function in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
24. Effects of Physical Activity in the High School Curriculum on Cardiovascular Health, Cognitive and Physical Performance
25. Effects of Physical Activity Interventions on Cognition and Academic Performance Outcomes in Children and Adolescents: A Novel Combination of a Systematic Review and Recommendations from an Expert Panel
26. Effects of Resistance Training on Academic Outcomes in School‑Aged Youth: A Systematic Review and Meta‑Analysis
27. Effects of Two Years of Physically Active Lessons on Cognitive Indicators in Children
28. ​Exercise Intervention for Academic Achievement Among Children: A Randomized Controlled Trial
29. Give Your Ideas Some Legs - The Positive Effect of Walking
30. Health and Academic Achievement (CDC)
31. ​​Health-Related Behaviors and Academic Achievement Among High School Students — United States, 2015 (CDC)
32. ​High-Intensity Training Enhances Executive Function in Children in a Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial
33. Independent and Combined Influence of the Components of Physical Fitness on Academic Performance in Youth​
34. Is Adherence to 24-hour Movement Guidelines Associated with a Higher Academic Achievement Among Adolescent Males and Females?
35. ​​Is There a Relationship Between Physical Fitness and Academic Achievement? Positive Results from Public School Children in the Northeastern United States
36. Levels of Physical Activity at Age 10 Years and Brain Morphology Changes From Ages 10 to 14 Years
37. Longitudinal Associations of Physical Fitness and Body Mass Index with Academic Performance
38. ​Longitudinal Single-Subject Neuroimaging Study Reveals Effects of Daily Environmental, Physiological, and Lifestyle Factors on Functional Brain Connectivity
39. Multimodal Imaging Brain Markers in Early Adolescence Are Linked with a Physically Active Lifestyle
40. Muscular and Aerobic Fitness, Working Memory, and Academic Achievement in Children
41. Physical Activity and Performance at School: A Systematic Review of the Literature Including a Methodological Quality Assessment
42. ​Physical Activity Promotes Academic Achievement and a Healthy Lifestyle when Incorporated into Early Childhood Education
43. ​​Physical Activity, Fitness, Cognitive Function, and Academic Achievement in Children: A Systematic Review
44. ​​Physical Education, School Physical Activity, School Sports and Academic Performance
45. ​Physical Fitness and Academic Achievement in Third- and Fifth-Grade Students
46. Physical Fitness is Related to Concentration Performance in Adolescents
47. ​Physical Fitness Level is Related to Attention and Concentration in Adolescents
48. Physically Active Lessons in School and their Impact on Physical Activity, Educational, Health and Cognitive Outcomes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
49. Relationship Between Academic Achievement And Healthy School Transformations In Urban Elementary Schools In The United States
50. ​Relationships of Physical Activity to Brain Health and the Academic Performance of Schoolchildren
51. Short, Frequent Physical Activity Breaks Improve Working Memory While Preserving Cerebral Blood Flow in Adolescents During Prolonged Sitting
52. ​The Association Between Aerobic Fitness and Language Processing in Children: Implications for Academic Achievement
53. The Association of Physical Activity and Academic Behavior: A Systematic Review
54. The Effect of Low-Intensity Exercise on Emotional and Cognitive Engagement in the Classroom
55. ​The Effect of Physical Activity Interventions on Children's Cognition and Metacognition: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
56. ​​The Effect of Physical Activity on Sleep Quality, Well-Being, and Affect in Academic Stress Periods
57. The Effects of Physical Activity on Academic Performance in School-Aged Children: A Systematic Review
58. The Indirect Role of Executive Functions on the Relationship between Cardiorespiratory Fitness and School Grades
59. The Influence of Daily Structured Physical Activity on Academic Progress of Elementary Students with Intellectual Disabilities
60. The Influence of Exercise on Cognitive Abilities
61. White Matter Microstructure Mediates the Association Between Physical Fitness and Cognition in Healthy, Young Adults
62. Widespread Positive Direct and Indirect Effects of Regular Physical Activity on the Developing Functional Connectome in Early Adolescence

​Classroom Behavior​ and Physical Activity

1. Classroom Activity Breaks Improve On-Task Behavior and Physical Activity Levels Regardless of Time of Day
2. Classroom-Based Physical Activity and On-Task Behavior
3. Effect of Classroom-Based Physical Activity Interventions on Academic and Physical Activity Outcomes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
4. Effect of Classroom-Based Physical Activity Interventions on Attention and On-Task Behavior in Schoolchildren: A Systematic Review
5. ​Effect of an Elementary School Walking Program on Physical Activity and Classroom Behavior
6. Impact of 3 Years of Classroom Physical Activity Bouts on Time-on-Task Behavior
7. Implementing Classroom Physical Activity Breaks: Associations With Student Physical Activity and Classroom Behavior
8. ​Physical Activity, Health-Related Fitness, and Classroom Behavior in Children: A Discriminant Function Analysis
9. The Relationship Between Physical Exercise and Prosocial Behavior of Junior Middle School Students in Post-Epidemic Period: The Chain Mediating Effect of Emotional Intelligence and Sports Learning Motivation and Gender Differences

​Grief/Trauma​ and Physical Activity

1. Can Physical Activity Support Grief Outcomes in Individuals Who Have Been Bereaved: A Systematic Review
2. Physical Exercise as Treatment for PTSD: A Systematic Review
3. The Effects of Sport and Physical Activity on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
4. The Impact of Aerobic Exercise on Mood Symptoms in Trauma-Exposed Young Adults: A Pilot Study
5. The Role of Exercise in Reducing PTSD and Negative Emotional States
6. Trauma-Informed Practice in Physical Activity Programs for Young People: A Systematic Review
7. Using Physical Activity for Emotional Recovery After a Natural Disaster
8. We’re All in the Same Boat”: The Role of Group Physical Activity in Community (Re) Development Following a Natural Disaster
9. What Roles Does Physical Activity Play Following the Death of a Parent as a Young Person: A Qualitative Investigation

---

Immune System​ and Physical Activity

1. Effects of Regular Physical Activity on the Immune System, Vaccination and Risk of Community-Acquired Infectious Disease in the General Population Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
2. ​Physical Activities, Exercises, and Their Effects to the Immune System
3. Physical Activity and Risk of Infection, Severity and Mortality of Covid-19: A Systematic Review and Non-linear Dose–Response Meta-Analysis of Data from 1,853,610 Adults
4. ​Physical Activity Lowers the Risk for Acute Respiratory Infections Time for Recognition
5. ​Physical Exercise as a Tool to Help the Immune System Against COVID-19 an Integrative Review of the Current Literature
6. The Compelling Link Between Physical Activity and the Body's Defense System
7. The Health Benefits of Physical Activity in Children and Adolescents: Implications for Chronic Disease Prevention
8. The Relationships Between Physical Activity, Exercise, and Sport on the Immune System
9. Use of Physical Activity and Exercise to Reduce Inflammation in Children and Adolescents with Obesity

Loneliness​ and Physical Activity

• A Serial Mediation Model of Physical Exercise and Loneliness the Role of Perceived Social Support and Resilience​
• Association Between Adolescent Self-Reported Physical Activity Behaviors and Feeling Close to People at School During the COVID-19 Pandemic
• Association Between Loneliness, Physical Activity, and Participation in Physical Education Among Adolescents in Amazonas, Brazil
• Association Between Physical Activity, Participation in Physical Education Classes, and Social Isolation in Adolescents
• Loneliness and Physical Activity: A Systematic Review
• Loneliness in Sports Active and Non-active School-age Children: Can Sport Protect Children Against Loneliness?
• Physical Activity, Loneliness, and Meaning of Friendship in Young Individuals: A Mixed-Methods Investigation Prior to and During the COVID-19 Pandemic With Three Cross-Sectional Studies
• The Effect of Early Morning Physical Exercises on Academic Self-concept and Loneliness Foster Home Children in Ahvaz City
• The Effect of Physical Activity on the Subjective Well-being of Rural Left-behind Children the Mediating Role of Discrimination Perceptions and Loneliness

Mental Health​ and Physical Activity

1. ​A Meta-Analysis of the Relationship Between Children's Physical Activity and Mental Health
2. ​A Systematic Review of the Relationship Between Physical Activity and Happiness
3. Associations Between Physical Activity and Mental Health and Behaviour in Early Adolescence
4. Association Between Physical Activity and Risk of Depression
5. Association Between Physical Activity Duration and Depressive Symptoms in Adolescents A Longitudinal Study in a Rural City in Japan
6. Association Between Physical Exercise and Mental Health in 1.2 Million Individuals in the USA Between 2011 and 2015: A Cross-Sectional Study
7. Association Between Physical Fitness and Anxiety in Children: A Moderated Mediation Model of Agility and Resilience
8. Depressive Symptoms and Objectively Measured Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour throughout Adolescence: A Prospective Cohort Study
9. ​Effectiveness of Physical Activity Interventions for Improving Depression, Anxiety and Distress: an Overview of Systematic Reviews
10. Effect of Exercise for Depression: Systematic Review and Network Meta-analysis of Randomised Controlled Trials
11. Effects of Physical Activity on the Mood States of Young Students
12. ​Exercise as a Potential Treatment for Drug Abuse: Evidence from Preclinical Studies
13. Exercise Therapy Improves Both Mental and Physical Health in Patients with Major Depression
14. Moderate-to-Vigorous Physical Activity and Reactivity to Acute Psychosocial Stress in Preadolescent Children
15. ​Physical Activity and Incident Depression: A Meta-Analysis of Prospective Cohort Studies
16. Physical Activity and Mental Health in Children and Adolescents: An Updated Review of Reviews and an Analysis of Causality
17. Physical Activity and Mental Health in Children and Adolescents with Intellectual Disabilities: A Meta-analysis Using the Re-Aim Framework​
18. ​Physical Activity and Psychological Adjustment in Adolescents​
19. ​Physical Activity Improves Mental Health Through Resilience in Hong Kong Chinese Adolescents
20. Physical Activity in European Adolescents and Associations with Anxiety, Depression and Well-Being
21. Physical Activity Influences Adherence to Pharmacological Treatments in Patients With Severe Mental Disorders: Results From the Multicentric, Randomized Controlled Lifestyle Trial
22. Physical Activity Interventions and Depression in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
23. Physical Activity Interventions to Alleviate Depressive Symptoms in Children and Adolescents
24. Physical Fitness and Risk of Mental Disorders in Children and Adolescents
25. Role of Physical Activity on Mental Health and Well-Being: A Review
26. ​School-Related Physical Activity Interventions and Mental Health Among Children: A Systematic Review and Meta Analysis
27. Seasonality in Mood Disorders Probing Association of Accelerometer-Derived Physical Activity with Daylength and Solar Insolation
28. The Chain Mediating Effect of Psychological Inflexibility and Stress Between Physical Exercise and Adolescent Insomnia
29. ​The Effect of Acute Exercise for Reducing Cognitive Alterations Associated With Individuals High in Anxiety
30. The Role of Exercise in Preventing and Treating Depression
31. The Role of Exercise in Reducing Childhood and Adolescent PTSD, Anxiety, and Depression
32. Volume and Social Context of Physical Activity in Association with Mental Health, Anxiety and Depression Among Youth

Pain Tolerance​ and Physical Activity

1. Aerobic Training Increases Pain Tolerance in Healthy Individuals
2. Exercise as a Treatment for Chronic Pain
3. Exercise Induced Hypoalgesia: Pain Tolerance, Preference and Tolerance for Exercise Intensity, and Physiological Correlates Following Dynamic Circuit Resistance Exercise
4. Longitudinal Relationships Between Habitual Physical Activity and Pain Tolerance in the General Population
5. Pain Perception in Athletes Compared to Normally Active Control A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis
6. Pain Tolerance in Chronic Pain Patients Seems to Be More Associated With Physical Activity Than With Depression and Anxiety

Self Esteem​ and Physical Activity

• A Longitudinal Assessment of the Links Between Physical Activity and Self-Esteem in Early Adolescent Non-Hispanic Females
• Can Exercise Improve Self Esteem in Children and Young
• Effect of Physical Activity on Self-Concept Theoretical Model on the Mediation of Body Image and Physical Self-Concept in Adolescents
• Effects of Physical Activity on Psychological Variables in Adolescents
• Effects of Physical Exercise on Self-Concept and Well-Being
• ​Exercise to Improve Self Esteem in Children and Young People: Meta Analysis
• How Does Physical Activity Intervention Improve Self-Esteem and Self-Concept in Children and Adolescents
• Longitudinal Relationships Between Physical Fitness With Physical Self-Concept and Self-Esteem in Adolescents
• Physical Activity and Global Self-Worth the Role of Physical Self-Esteem Indices and Gender
• Physical Activity and Self-Esteem: Testing Direct and Indirect Relationships Associated With Psychological and Physical Mechanisms
• The Effect of Changes in Physical Self-Concept through Participation in Exercise on Changes in Self-Esteem and Mental Well-Being
• The Effects of Selected Aerobic Exercise Modalities on Self Esteem
• The Relationship Between Physical Activity, Self-Esteem, and Academic Achievement in 12-Year-Old Children
• The Relationship Between Physical Exercise and Subjective Well-Being in College Students: The Mediating Effect of Body Image and Self-Esteem

Sleep​ and Physical Activity

1. Association Between Objectively-Measured Physical Activity and Sleep
2. Association of Physical Activity with Sleep Health: A Systematic Review​
3. Long-Term Links between Physical Activity and Sleep Quality
4. Sufficient Sleep, Physical Activity, and Sedentary Behaviors
5. The Effect of Physical Activity on Sleep Quality: A Systematic Review
6. The Effect of Physical Activity on Sleep Quality, Well-being, and Affect in Academic Stress Periods
7. The Effects of Physical Activity on Sleep: A Meta-Analytic Review​

Social Behavior​ and Physical Activity

1. Crime Prevention Through Sport and Physical Activity
2. Effect of Physical Activity on Students’ Social Skills Research Factor Analysis at South Tangerang Elementary Schools
   
3. Effects of Participation in Inclusive Physical Activity on Social Skills of Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorder
4. ​Effects of Physical Exercise on Prosocial Behavior of Junior High School Students
5. Fit to Be Good: Physical Fitness Is Negatively Associated With Deviance
6. Sport, Physical Activity, and Antisocial Behaviour in Youth
7. The Efficacy of Physical Activity Interventions in Reducing Antisocial Behavior A Meta-analytic Review

Stress​ and Physical Activity

• A Meta-Analysis on the Anxiety Reducing Effects of Acute and Chronic Exercise Outcomes and Mechanisms
• Acute Psychosocial Stress and Working Memory Performance: The Potential of Physical Activity to Modulate Cognitive Functions in Children
• Association Between Physical Fitness and Anxiety in Children: A Moderated Mediation Model of Agility and Resilience
• Building Adolescents’ Resilience: Evaluating the Impact of a 20-Week Inner-City Program
• Effects of an Eight-Month Exercise Intervention Programme on Physical Activity and Decrease of Anxiety in Elementary School Children
• Effects of Exercise Intervention on Students’ Test Anxiety: A Systematic Review with a Meta-Analysis
• Exercise for the Treatment of Depression and Anxiety
• Higher Levels of Physical Activity Are Associated With Lower Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenocortical Axis Reactivity to Psychosocial Stress in Children
• Impact of Physical Exercise on Symptoms of Depression and Anxiety in Pre-Adolescents: A Pilot Randomized Trial
• Influence of Regular Physical Activity and Fitness on Stress Reactivity as Measured with the Trier Social Stress Test Protocol: A Systematic Review
• Physical Activity Buffers the Effects of Chronic Stress on Adiposity in Youth
• Physical Fitness: A Pathway to Health and Resilience
• Protective Effect of Interval Exercise on Psychophysiological Stress Reactivity in Children
• Reducing Anxiety Sensitivity With Exercise
• Sport Participation and Anxiety in Children With ADHD
• The Effect of Physical Activity on Anxiety Symptoms Among Children and Adolescents With Mental Health Disorders: A Research Brief
• The Effects of Physical Activity and Exercise Training on Psychological Stress and Well-Being in an Adolescent Population
  
• The Effect of Physical Exercise on Anxiety Among the Victims of Child Abuse
• The Effect of Physical Activity on Anxiety Symptoms Among Children and Adolescents with Mental Health Disorders: A Research Brief
• The Effects of a 16-Week School-Based Exercise Program on Anxiety in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Substance Abuse​ and Physical Activity

1. Exercise as a Potential Treatment for Drug Abuse
2. Impact of Physical Exercise on Substance Use Disorders: A Meta-Analysis
3. Physical Activity and the Development of Substance Use Disorders: Current Knowledge and Future Directions
4. Physical Activity Interventions for Young People with Increased Risk of Problematic Substance Use: A Systematic Review Including Different Intervention Formats
5. Sport Participation and Alcohol and Illicit Drug Use in Adolescents and Young Adults: A Systematic Review of Longitudinal Studies

Temperature Regulation​ and Physical Activity

1. Effects of Lifestyle, Body Composition, and Physical Fitness on Cold Tolerance in Humans
2. Heat Tolerance Testing: Association Between Heat Intolerance and Anthropometric and Fitness Measurements​​
3. Moving in a Hotter World: Maintaining Adequate Childhood Fitness as a Climate Change Countermeasure

Vision​ and Physical Activity

• The Impact of Lifestyle Factors on Myopia Development: Insights and Recommendations
  
• The Myopia Prevalence and Association With Physical Activity Among Primary School Students Aged 6–12 Years: A Cross-Sectional Study in Tianjin, China
• ​Physical Activity in Relation to Development and Progression of Myopia: A Systematic Review