Treadmills in Every Classroom
By: Kimberly Stevens
It seems to be common knowledge nowadays that exercise has numerous benefits. It’s good for your heart and body...blah blah blah. But is exercise good for learning? Studies are showing that this could be the case. NYU developed a class in which students were required to exercise for an hour before lecture. The same lecture was used in a classroom without exercise. The remarkable results: the exercising classmates performed significantly better than the sedentary students by measuring the part of the brain responsible for learning through a simple test.
"The greatest threat to North America right now is not 9/11, it's 7-Eleven. Food choices and the sedentary lifestyle are a major problem” – Grant Roberts
Grant Roberts helped bring the idea of exercise in the classroom to life in a Canadian school. The expert fitness trainer helped supply equipment and develop the program with teacher Allison Cameron.
Treadmills and exercise bikes are next to desks and bookcases. Students can jog while watching a documentary and lift weights while doing arithmetic. The results have shown a fifty percent improvement in reading and comprehension, not to mention sustained attention spans. The use of Ritalin has decreased, as have behavior problems, while attendance has improved significantly.
Exercise is not only good for your body, but the mind is also reaping the benefits plentifully. I hope to see you in the gym.
“Studying the Link Between Exercise and Learning” by Elizabeth Mo
“School on the Run” by Darren Bernhardt
