Exercise helps children self-regulate, act less and be happier.
“Stop chasing your sister on the couch.” “Hands to yourself.” “Sit down.'' “Stop jumping up and down on the bed.'' “Stop tackling each other.'' “Stop leaning back on those chairs.'' “No sword fights with that pool noodle.'' .”
Children developmentally need a lot of movement. Spend time outside, ride bikes and scooters, play rough and tumble, crawl under and through objects, climb, hang from, jump from, throw things, and break things. There is a strong desire to compete with others.
Instead of calling your child “naughty” when trying to meet your child's movement needs, it may be helpful to let them play outside or plan a trip to the playground.
Exercise improves children's behavior.
Research suggests that regular exercise improves behaviors in people with autism, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), anxiety, and depression (Bowling et al., 2017). In one study, children from kindergarten to 10 years oldth Grades who participated in a 30-40 minute exercise program just two days a week had significantly improved self-regulation and fewer disciplinary “time-outs” (Bowling et al., 2017).
Exercise improves executive function, attention, and academic performance.
In addition to improving behavior, physical activity improves children's executive function, attention, and academic performance. The effects are greater when exercise is performed continuously and regularly over several weeks (de Greef et al., 2017). Research suggests that increasing physical activity improves academic performance, particularly with respect to mathematics and reading (Commission, 2013).
Exercise improves your child's mood.
Exercise improves children's mood through dopamine, serotonin, norepinephrine (Lin & Kuo, 2013), and endorphins (Harber et al., 1984). It also reduces depression (Pahlavani, 2024).
Exercise helps children build stronger muscles.
Physical activity (jumping, moving a stick, throwing a ball, lining up blocks, jumping on a balance beam, etc.) also strengthens the child's muscles, making him stronger, more agile, faster and more powerful (Sutapa et al. al., 2021).
parable single match Increasing physical activity strengthens children's executive functions, improves mood, and lowers stress levels (Basso &Suzuki, 2017). Next time you're feeling overwhelmed by your child's behavior, get outside and get moving with them. Jump hoops, go for a walk or run, bounce on a trampoline, shovel snow, rake leaves, play tag, play catch, sled or skateboard, or have a dance party. You can it will make a difference.
References
Basso JC, Suzuki WA. Effects of acute exercise on mood, cognition, neurophysiology, and neurochemical pathways: A review. brain plast. 2017 Mar 28;2(2):127-152. doi: 10.3233/BPL-160040. PMID: 29765853; PMCID: PMC5928534. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5928534/ https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0166432823005090
Bowling, A. Slavet, J., Miller, D., Hanois, S., Beardsley, W., Davison. (2017). The effects of cybercycling on the classroom behavior of children with behavioral health disorders: An RCT. Pediatrics 2017 February; 139 (2): e20161985. 10.1542/peds.2016-1985 https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article-abstract/139/2/e20161985/60107/Cybercycling-Effects-on-Classroom-Behavior-in?redirectedFrom=fulltext
Committee on Physical Activity and Physical Education in the School Environment. Food and Nutrition Board; Institute of Medicine; Kohl HW III, Cook HD, editors. Educating students: Incorporating physical activity and physical education into schools. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (USA); 2013 10 30. 4, Physical Activity, Fitness, and Physical Education: Impact on Academic Achievement. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK201501/
De Greef, J. Bosker, R., Oosterlaan, J., Visscher, C., and Hartman, E. (2017). The effects of physical activity on executive function, attention, and academic performance in preadolescent children: A meta-analysis. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport. https://www.jsams.org/article/S1440-2440(17)31641-9/fulltext
Harbor VJ, Sutton JR. Endorphins and exercise. Sports medicine. March-April 1984;1(2):154-71. doi:10.2165/00007256-198401020-00004. PMID: 6091217.
Idicula, S. (2021). The importance of physical activity for children. play street. https://www.playstreet.in/2021/10/21/the-importance-of-movement-for-children/#:~:text=When%20movement%20is%20incorporated%20through,academally%2C%20with% 20%20discipline%20 problems decreased.
Lin TW, Guo YM. Exercise benefits brain function: The monoamine connection. Brain science. 2013 Jan 11;3(1):39-53. doi:10.3390/brainsci3010039. PMID: 24961306; PMCID: PMC4061837. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4061837/
Pahlavani, H. (2024). Possible role of exercise therapy for depression: Effector neurotransmitters play a key role. Behavioral Brain Research, 459.
Sutapa P, Pratama KW, Rosly MM, Ali SKS, Karakauki M. Improving early childhood motor skills through goal-directed play activities. Children (Basel). 2021 11 2;8(11):994. doi:10.3390/children8110994. PMID: 34828707; PMCID: PMC8625902. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8625902/
