In America with both children and adults, there has been a rise in obesity; this has made it a necessity to learn the impact that being physically fit has on the human body.

One way to help increase learning is by paying attention in the classroom, however it has been proven that being physically fit is not only beneficial for the body, but also for the mind.

We all know that you will do whatever it takes to make sure your children are healthy, even buying the best baby car seat covers when they are young.  If you want them to be truly healthy though, it is vital that they learn the benefits of exercise to stay healthy.

See Also: 5 Ways to Support Your Child’s Long-Term Mental and Physical Health

How Exercise Can Improve the Learning Ability of Children

You can buy all the health-gadgets in the world for your children, but that can only do so much for their overall health.

Keep reading below to learn more about the benefits of exercise for your young ones!

Increased Blood Flow

When a child’s blood flow is increased, this means that the blood flow through the entire body is improved.

Although proper blood flow is achieved by a healthy diet packed with vegetables, fruits, lean proteins and whole grains, the body is better able to maintain that flow with exercise.

The chairman at the Baltimore Neurology Institute for Fitness and Brain Health, Dr. Majid Fotuhi states the not only does exercising help a child to increase their blood flow but it also promotes the process of generating neurons into the brain, this is called neurogenesis. Basically what this means is that exercise is an essential part of a child’s brain development.

Impact on Memory

Other than improving the blood flow to the body and brain, exercise can also be beneficial to the memory process.

Exercise such as cycling and walking has been associated with highly affecting children´s performance in school.

At the University of Illinois in the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology Art Beckham explains that children who are fit in comparison with those who do not exercise, are better at thinking more effectively and multi-tasking, all of which are functions directly related to memory.

Additional Information: Health Benefits Walking Your Dog

Cognitive Control

The ability to pay attention is called cognitive control and it is also correlated with exercise.

In Illinois, the Neurocognitive Kinesiology Laboratory´s director, Charles Hillman has completed research which has found that children who do engage in physical activity are able to actually improve their cognitive control.

A viable solution for children who have conditions such as ADHD or who have a difficult time paying attention is in fact exercise.

A Michigan State University researcher performed a study which showed that children dealing with ADHD are better able to focus on a task and drone out distractions after a brief exercise session.

Sports and Education

Although concentration and academic achievement do go hand in hand, it has been proven that sports also help learning functions.

Areas such as behaviour, memory and information processing are enhanced when a child participates in sports or other kinds of physical activities according to James Goldsmith who runs an 11+ tutors clinic in Ilford, UK.

Research on the connection between enhanced learning and physical activity associated with better grades is on the rise, Chances are that increased levels of physical activity could even further enhance learning in children.

Additional Reading: Life Lessons Kids Can Learn From Running

Kids Room Ideas to Promote Physical Activity at Home

By creating a conducive environment for your child to be active at home, there is a much greater chance that they grow up healthy and fit!

Kids room ideas to enhance a child’s ability to be physically active can be simple or complex, depending on how much effort you are looking at to design your room.

If you want to check out more kids room ideas, this awesome guide I found is exactly what you need! Here, you can easily find amazing ideas to help build around when thinking about your child’s room!

Build a Jungle Gym

One way which you can give your child a kick start in to physical activity is to build a jungle gym inside their bedroom!  You can check out Baby Gears Pro for awesome equipment for your kids!

Obviously, this doesn’t have to be very big.

The goal is just to give the child ample space to move, and various places to climb, slide, and move around.  Kids room ideas such as this are excellent because not only will your child learn the basics of certain physical movements, but they also will have a full-time distraction from the computer or television.

Even young kids can become distracted with the television, or computer games; which will ultimately lead to a comfortably-sedentary life.

By providing the option to move around with free space and can play in their own room, children will instinctively be drawn away from the “screens” and back in to the real world!

Mini-Sports Equipment

Another one of the many kids room ideas to get your child up and moving is to put a miniature basketball hoop or soccer goal in the room as well!

This was always my favorite!

Having a mini-hoop in your kids room will give them an activity they can do for hours, to help build motor skills and stay active.  I didn’t need any additional “push” from my parents to shoot at the mini-hoop in my room, and can remember spending countless hours doing so!

Kids room ideas come in all shapes and sizes, and can have a huge impact on your child’s future.  Developing a room that is adequately prepared to get your child up and moving will ultimately help them build motor skills, cognitive mental function, and a healthy lifestyle!