Howdy pals! Here again on PE is the new Math. In post 2 we discussed how physical activity improves academic success, but what can sports do for supporting our student’s mental health? As it turns out, the effects of physical activity on the brain are astronomical and we can see so many positive results just from exercise. This includes an increase in cognitive function, decrease in depression and suicidal thoughts, improved self-confidence, improved memory and executive function and overall improved mental wellbeing.  Better Than Yesterday is an educational YouTube channel based around the idea of self-improvement.

This video on the benefits of physical activity and many more of Adam Del Duca’s videos are perfect resources for any classroom (But as always make sure to review a video in full before sharing with your class). But lets take a look at what Adam has to say about sports:

  • Physical activity is an essential part of our lives. Though we spend so little time being physically active, we did not evolve this way. This is portrayed in our society through a grotesque increase in illness:
    • 65% of Americans are obese
    • 10% have type 2 diabetes
    • Inactivity is slowly killing or bodies and brains and physically making our brains smaller
  • Benefits of physical activity include:
    • Increased brain mass
    • Improved ability learns and absorb information (Like we discussed in post #2)
    • Decrease depression and stress response
    • Prevent cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s
    • Stabilize mood through hormone balance in women
  • If physical activity could come in a pill form, it would be the drug of the century
    • “Exercise is like taking a little bit of Prozac and a little bit of Ritalin” – Dr. John Ratey
  • Exercise not only increases but balances neurotransmitters such as: serotonin, norepinephrine and dopamine.
  • Aerobic activity also increases Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor

While the Better Than Yesterday video summarizes that these positive benefits of physical activity only come from high-intensity aerobic activity (which he defines as getting your heart rate up to 80% of it maximum capacity). However, I would argue that there are also lots of benefits from anaerobic activities such as stretching and yoga. Not only will this make your body more fit for participating in aerobic activities, but it also has a lot of the same psychological benefits as aerobic activities such as a decrease in depression and anxiety. Here is a Ted Talk by Krishna Sudhir that dives deeper into this.