Importance of Physical Education

Of the many subjects children study in school, there may be none more important than physical education. However it must be of high quality and aligned with state/national standards and guidelines. A high quality physical education program offers children opportunities to develop the skills, concepts, and dispositions needed to be physically active for life. Sufficient, regular physical activity not only helps prevent major diseases but it also: promotes learning; reduces stress, anxiety, and depression; and improves overall student wellness. It doesn’t matter if the child excels in every other subject in school and grows up to become a successful doctor/lawyer/engineer/etc., with poor health any professional achievement becomes secondary.
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​There are many factors that contribute to the ease of implementing and sustaining a quality program, including the involvement of the administration, parents, and community. However it ultimately comes down to the willingness of the physical education teacher(s) to do their best no matter the situation.

​That being said, REAL teachers still need our support and appreciation. This can be in the form of equipment (every jump-rope, pedometer, heart-rate monitor, and home-made scoop catcher counts), classroom assistance, time and funding for professional development, and by advocating for quality physical education at the local, state, and national level.
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​Videos on the Benefits of Physical Education


​Documentaries on PE and PA
​National Guidelines and Recommendations
​"SHAPE America recommends that schools provide 150 minutes of instructional physical education for elementary school children, and 225 minutes for middle and high school students per week for the entire school year. A quality physical education program provides learning opportunities, appropriate instruction, meaningful and challenging content and student and program assessment" (SHAPE America Position Statements).

​**According to the 2015 Every Student Succeeds Act, physical education is recognized as part of a "well-rounded education."**
Position STATEMENTS
COURSE SUBSTITUTIONS AND WAIVERS
Physical Education is a SOCIAL JUSTICE Issue
Editorials
Research
Physical Literacy and it's importance
Research indicates that one of the leading factors for participating in physical activity is one's competence and self-efficacy in that activity (see below for research on motor competence and self-efficacy). With each skill mastered, new opportunities for physical activity are opened. ​This finding supports the need for attaining physical literacy in order to have the best chance at being physically active for a lifetime. 
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​The table below lists some of the most utilized skill themes and what percentage of popular physical activities require them (table is based on Children Moving: A Reflective Approach to Teaching Physical Education, 2007). Canadian Sport for Life and Human Kinetics have similar graphics as well.

​Skills Associated with Various Sports

​Physical Literacy - Youtube Playlist
 
MOTOR COMPETENCE AND SELF EFFICACY - RESEARCH
Research has shown that one's perceived skill level is a predictor in physical activity engagement throughout their lifetime (Additional Articles from Google Scholar):
  1. ​A Developmental Perspective on the Role of Motor Skill Competence in Physical Activity: An Emergent Relationship
  2. A Multivariate Study of Determinants of Vigorous Exercise in a Community Sample
  3. A Narrative Review of Motor Competence in Children and Adolescents: What We Know and What We Need to Find Out
  4. Changes in Motor Competence after a Brief Physical Education Intervention Program in 4 and 5-Year-Old Preschool Children
  5. Does Motivation in Physical Education Have an Impact on Out-of-School Physical Activity over Time? A Longitudinal Approach
  6. Early Motor Skill Competence as a Mediator of Child and Adult Physical Activity
  7. Effects of Physical Activity on Mathematical Computation among Young Children
  8. Fundamental Motor Skill Proficiency Is Necessary for Children's Motor Activity Inclusion
  9. Investigating Motor Competence in Association with Sedentary Behavior and Physical Activity in 7- to 11-Year-Old Children
  10. Motor Competence, Perceived Physical Competence, Physical Fitness, and Physical Activity Within Finnish Children
  11. Motor Competence and its Effect on Positive Developmental Trajectories of Health
  12. Motor Skill Competence and Perceived Motor Competence: Which Best Predicts Physical Activity Among Girls?
  13. Perceived Motor Competence and Self-efficacy in Children - Competitive Sports Vs Sedentary Lifestyle
  14. Prediction of Leisure-Time Exercise Behavior: A Path Analysis (LISREL V) Model
  15. The Association Between Motor Skill Competence and Physical Fitness in Young Adults
  16. The Relationship Between Fundamental Movement Skills and Self-reported Physical Activity During Finnish Junior High School
  17. The Relationship Between Physical Literacy Scores and Adherence to Canadian Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour Guidelines
  18. The Role of Efficacy Cognitions in the Prediction of Exercise Behavior in Middle-aged Adults
the benefits of physical education - Research
  1. A Physical Education Trial Improves Adolescents' Cognitive Performance and Academic Achievement: The EDUFIT Study
  2. ​A Systematic Review of the Relationship Between Physical Activity and Happiness
  3. ​Adolescents’ Physical Activity Levels on Physical Education and Non-Physical Education Days According to Gender, Age, and Weight Status
  4. ​An Evaluation of the Relationship between Academic Performance and Physical Fitness Measures in California Schools
  5. An Investigation of the Effects of Daily Physical Activity on the Health of Primary School Students in South Australia
  6. ​Daily Physical Education Improves Motor Skills and School Performance A Nine-Year Prospective Intervention Study
  7. ​Do the Duration and Frequency of Physical Education Predict Academic Achievement, Self-Concept, Social skills, Food Consumption, and Body Mass Index?
  8. Educating the Student Body: Taking Physical Activity and Physical Education to School
  9. Effect of Physical Education and Activity Levels on Academic Achievement in Children
  10. Effects of Physical Education Interventions on Cognition and Academic Performance Outcomes in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
  11. Enrollment in Physical Education is Associated with Health-Related Behavior Among High School
  12. Is There a Long-Term Health Legacy of Required Physical Education?
  13. ​Justifying Physical Education Based on Neuroscience Evidence
  14. ​Modeling The Economic And Health Impact Of Increasing Children’s Physical Activity In The United States
  15. Not Academic Enough? Enjoyment of Physical Education and the Arts and School Engagement in Early and Middle Adolescence
  16. ​Physical Activity Opportunities Associated With Fitness and Weight Status Among Adolescents in Low-Income Communities
  17. Physical Education and Academic Achievement: Literature Review 1997-2015
  18. Physical Education and Academic Achievement in Elementary School: Data From the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study
  19. ​​Physical Education and Academic Performance in Urban African American Girls
  20. Physical Education and Its Effect on Elementary Testing Results
  21. Physical Education and Leisure-Time Physical Activity in Youth Are Both Important for Adulthood Activity, Physical Performance, and Health
  22. ​Physical Education and Sport in Schools: A Review of Benefits and Outcomes
  23. Physical Education in Kindergarten Promotes Fundamental Motor Skill Development
  24. Physical Education Increases Daily Moderate to Vigorous Physical Activity and Reduces Sedentary Time
  25. ​Physical Education, Obesity, and Academic Achievement: A 2-Year Longitudinal Investigation of Australian Elementary School Children
  26. Physical Education, School Physical Activity, School Sports and Academic Performance
  27. ​Physical Fitness in Children with High Motor Competence is Different from that in Children with Low Motor Competence
  28. ​Positive Effects on Bone Mineralisation and Muscular Fitness after 10 Months of Intense School-Based Physical Training for Children Aged 8-10 Years
  29. ​​​Sixty Minutes of What? A Developing Brain Perspective for Activating Children with an Integrative Exercise Approach
  30. The Association Between School-Based Physical Activity, Including Physical Education, and Academic Performance
  31. ​The Contribution of Physical Education to Physical Activity Within a Comprehensive School Health Promotion Program
  32. ​The Educational Benefits Claimed for Physical Education and School Sport: An Academic Review
  33. The Impact of Physical Education on Obesity among Elementary School Children
  34. ​The Relationship Between School Performance and the Number of Physical Education Classes Attended by Korean Adolescent Students
THE BENEFITS OF PHYSICAL EDUCATION - Editorials
Physical Activity & Academics - Multimedia
The Brain-Changing Benefits of Exercise
Run, Jump, Learn! How Exercise Can Transform Our Schools
PE + Health = Student Success
PHYSICAL ACTIVITY & ACADEMICs - SPARK
​SPARK: "A groundbreaking exploration of the connection between exercise and the brain’s performance that shows how even moderate exercise will supercharge mental circuits to beat stress, sharpen thinking, enhance memory, and much more."
Spark Learning and Creativity
The Neuroscience of Movement with Dr. John Ratey
PHYSICAL ACTIVITY & ACADEMICs - ​RESEARCH
Additional Research Lists
  1. A Better Cardiopulmonary Fitness Is Associated with Improved Concentration Level and Health-Related Quality of Life in Primary School Children
  2. A Longitudinal Examination of the Link Between Youth Physical Fitness and Academic Achievement
  3. A Review of Acute Physical Activity Effects on Brain and Cognition in Children
  4. ​​A Whole Brain Volumetric Approach in Overweight/Obese Children: Examining the Association with Different Physical Fitness Components and Academic Performance
  5. Active Education: Growing Evidence on Physical Activity and Academic Performance
  6. Aerobic Fitness and Academic Achievement: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis​
  7. An Investigation of the Effects of Daily Physical Activity on the Health of Primary School Students in South Australia
  8. Associations of Physical Fitness and Academic Performance Among Schoolchildren
  9. ​Be Smart, Exercise Your Heart: Exercise Effects on Brain and Cognition
  10. Beneficial Effects of Acute Exercise on Executive Function in Adolescents
  11. 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
  12. Brief Aerobic Exercise Immediately Enhances Visual Attentional Control and Perceptual Speed
  13. Cardiovascular Risk Factor Trajectories Since Childhood and Cognitive Performance in Midlife​
  14. ​​Effect of Classroom-Based Physical Activity Interventions on Academic and Physical Activity Outcomes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
  15. Effect of High- Intensity Interval Training on Hippocampal Metabolism in Older Adolescents
  16. Effects of an Exercise Program on Brain Health Outcomes for Children With Overweight or Obesity
  17. Effects of Acute and Chronic Exercises on Executive Function in Children and Adolescents: A Systemic Review and Meta-Analysis
  18. Effects of Acute Physical Activity on NIH Toolbox-measured Cognitive Functions Among Children in Authentic Education Settings
  19. ​Exercise Intervention for Academic Achievement Among Children: A Randomized Controlled Trial
  20. Give Your Ideas Some Legs - The Positive Effect of Walking
  21. Health and Academic Achievement (CDC)
  22. ​​Health-Related Behaviors and Academic Achievement Among High School Students — United States, 2015 (CDC)
  23. ​High-Intensity Training Enhances Executive Function in Children in a Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial
  24. Independent and Combined Influence of the Components of Physical Fitness on Academic Performance in Youth
  25. ​​Is There a Relationship Between Physical Fitness and Academic Achievement? Positive Results from Public School Children in the Northeastern United States
  26. Longitudinal Associations of Physical Fitness and Body Mass Index with Academic Performance
  27. Multimodal Imaging Brain Markers in Early Adolescence Are Linked with a Physically Active Lifestyle
  28. Muscular and Aerobic Fitness, Working Memory, and Academic Achievement in Children
  29. Physical Activity and Performance at School: A Systematic Review of the Literature Including a Methodological Quality Assessment
  30. ​Physical Activity Promotes Academic Achievement and a Healthy Lifestyle when Incorporated into Early Childhood Education
  31. ​​Physical Activity, Fitness, Cognitive Function, and Academic Achievement in Children: A Systematic Review
  32. Physical Activity, Health-Related Fitness, and Classroom Behavior in Children: A Discriminant Function Analysis
  33. ​Physical Education, School Physical Activity, School Sports and Academic Performance
  34. ​Physical Fitness and Academic Achievement in Third- and Fifth-Grade Students
  35. Physically Active Lessons in School and their Impact on Physical Activity, Educational, Health and Cognitive Outcomes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
  36. Relationship Between Academic Achievement And Healthy School Transformations In Urban Elementary Schools In The United States
  37. ​Relationships of Physical Activity to Brain Health and the Academic Performance of Schoolchildren
  38. ​The Association Between Aerobic Fitness and Language Processing in Children: Implications for Academic Achievement
  39. The Effect of Low-Intensity Exercise on Emotional and Cognitive Engagement in the Classroom
  40. ​The Effect of Physical Activity Interventions on Children's Cognition and Metacognition: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
  41. ​​The Effect of Physical Activity on Sleep Quality, Well-Being, and Affect in Academic Stress Periods
  42. The Indirect Role of Executive Functions on the Relationship between Cardiorespiratory Fitness and School Grades
  43. The Influence of Daily Structured Physical Activity on Academic Progress of Elementary Students with Intellectual Disabilities
  44. The Influence of Exercise on Cognitive Abilities
  45. White Matter Microstructure Mediates the Association Between Physical Fitness and Cognition in Healthy, Young Adults
  46. Widespread Positive Direct and Indirect Effects of Regular Physical Activity on the Developing Functional Connectome in Early Adolescence
OTHER BENEFITS OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY - RESEARCH
Additional Research
  1. Advancing Ideas for School Health - Research Archives
Fitness, Health, and Absenteeism
  1. ​Association between Increased BMI and Severe School Absenteeism Among US Children and Adolescents
  2. ​​Individual-Level Fitness and Absenteeism in New York City Middle School Youths, 2006–2013
  3. Physical Activity and Risk of Infection, Severity and Mortality of Covid-19: A Systematic Review and Non-linear Dose–Response Meta-Analysis
  4. ​The Association of Obesity and School Absenteeism Attributed to Illness or Injury Among Adolescents in the United States
Physical Activity and Mental Health
  1. ​A Meta-Analysis of the Relationship Between Children's Physical Activity and Mental Health
  2. Association Between Physical Activity and Risk of Depression
  3. Association Between Physical Exercise and Mental Health in 1.2 Million Individuals in the USA Between 2011 and 2015: A Cross-Sectional Study
  4. Depressive Symptoms and Objectively Measured Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour throughout Adolescence: A Prospective Cohort Study
  5. Exercise as a Potential Treatment for Drug Abuse: Evidence from Preclinical Studies
  6. Exercise Therapy Improves Both Mental and Physical Health in Patients with Major Depression
  7. ​Physical Activity and Incident Depression: A Meta-Analysis of Prospective Cohort Studies
  8. Physical Activity and Mental Health in Children and Adolescents: An Updated Review of Reviews and an Analysis of Causality
  9. ​Physical Activity Improves Mental Health Through Resilience in Hong Kong Chinese Adolescents
  10. Physical Activity in European Adolescents and Associations with Anxiety, Depression and Well-Being
  11. Physical Activity Interventions and Depression in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
  12. Physical Activity, Physical Fitness, and Health-Related Quality of Life in School-Aged Children
  13. ​The Effect of Acute Exercise for Reducing Cognitive Alterations Associated With Individuals High in Anxiety
  14. The Role of Exercise in Preventing and Treating Depression
  15. Volume and Social Context of Physical Activity in Association with Mental Health, Anxiety and Depression Among Youth
Physical Activity, Fitness, and Miscellaneous Benefits
  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 Objectively-Measured Physical Activity and Sleep
  3. Fit to Be Good: Physical Fitness Is Negatively Associated With Deviance
  4. Moving in a Hotter World: Maintaining Adequate Childhood Fitness as a Climate Change Countermeasure
  5. ​Physical Fitness Level Is Related to Attention and Concentration in Adolescents
  6. Systematic Review of the Health Benefits of Physical Activity and Fitness in School-Aged Children and Youth
Campaigns to Increase Opportunities for Physical Activity