UP ON OUR FEET

With all the concern regarding the physical health, mental health, and academic ability of schoolchildren worldwide, 36 elementary schoolchildren spent two years learning math not in a sedentary manner sitting at their desks, but in a physically-active manner. The results of this learning methodology are quite impressive. Here with the project and its results is Professor Daniele Magistro of the U...

There have been many studies demonstrating that physical activity positively impacts the academic performance of schoolchildren. And now, we’re beginning to find out that physical activity also enhances school readiness for preschoolers. Here with the details is Professor Myrto Mavilidi of the School of Education at the University of Wollongong in Australia, and the Department of Psychology at the...

Two or more people engaged in the same challenging physical activity can enhance one another’s social cognition. Here with the details is Professor Liye Zou of Shenzhen University in Shenzhen, China. UP ON OUR FEET is a production of the American Sports Institute.

Having students engaged in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity while learning improves their academic performance, cognition, and fitness more so than students who sit at their desks. Here with the details of a research study that produced these results is Professor Carlos Martín Martínez of King Juan Carlos University in Madrid. UP ON OUR FEET is a production of the American Sports Institute.

Over the past two decades, an overwhelming number of scientifically-validated, peer-reviewed studies have shown that physical exercise enhances brain function. A recent study shows that this also translates into improved intelligence or IQ in youth. Here with the details is Professor David Jiménez-Pavón , a researcher at the University of Cádiz in Spain. UP ON OUR FEET is a production of the Ameri...

It is well established that exercising and being physically active is good for a person’s brain, body, and mental health. But there is also an added benefit that goes beyond individuals that has to do with the impact of physical activity on a macro, cultural level, to an entire society, including the relationship of public health, economics, and climate-change mitigation to cycling as an active fo...

Low back pain is an affliction that impacts over half a billion people annually worldwide, and often affects just about everything a person does in their daily life. And while the medical community, for the most part, can only offer simple medication or rest to possibly relieve low back pain, a recent study shows that there is something else that is simple to do, cost-effective, and produces posit...

A growing number of research studies is showing that physical activity not only enhances our physical health, it also positively impacts our mental health. And this is true for schoolchildren as well as adults. In fact, something as simple as getting a certain number of steps per day has shown to positively impact the mental health of students. Here with details on this is Professor Celia Álvarez-...

While there have been many studies on how physical activity in schools impacts the academic performance, health, and social-emotional behavior of students, there has been very little research on the reactions of students themselves to experiencing physical activity in their classrooms. Here with a study that did just that is Professor Jaimie McMullen of the University of Hawai’i at Manoa. To learn...

Over the past two decades, numerous scientific studies have shown how physical activity increases academic performance in schoolchildren. But sometimes the studies are so technical, it’s difficult to grasp what’s being said. Here with a simple explanation of the role of physical activity in improving students’ academic performance is Professor Lauren Raine of Northeastern University in Boston. UP...

Whether in the wild or captivity, as part of their normal, regular behavior, great apes will hold on to a vine, raise themselves in the air, and spin themselves around and around at high speeds until they become dizzy. What does this have to do with our own evolution and behavior, and what are its implications for children, mental health, and learning? Here to discuss all this is Professor Adriano...

Research shows that yoga not only positively impacts our bodies, it also has the same effect on our brains. What’s more, people of all ages and ability levels can practice and enjoy its benefits. Someone who is doing extensive research on yoga is Professor Neha Gothe of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. To learn more about the American Sports Institute: www.americansportsinstitute.or...

For some time, we've known that physical activity is good for both our body and brain. Now, emerging research is just beginning to show us something else: It may not be just a matter of being physically active itself, or a matter of what types of physical activity you do, but WHERE you actually do your physical activity may be an important and determining factor in the benefits you get out of...

While we would mostly rather not, just about everyone experiences anxiety. And people get anxious for all kinds of reasons. Some anxieties are minor that we get through fairly well, and some take hold of us in potentially debilitating ways. At the same time, emerging research is indicating that being physically active may offer a way to not only treat anxiety, but limit it to occurring ever-so-rar...

Over the past 30 to 40 years, research in neuroscience has conclusively shown how physical activity positively impacts cognition, how our brains work. More recently, studies are showing the same thing with music; that it, too, has a positive effect on the brain and how it works. And most recently, we’re learning that physical activity and music TOGETHER can have a positive effect on the brain that...

For most people, exercise is something they know is good for them, but don't have the time, motivation, or inclination to make it a priority. They just don't see it as being essential to them. However, research shows that exercise is, in fact, essential to our very existence as human beings. Professor Herman Pontzer of Duke University explains why exercise and all forms of physical activ...

In addition to the body and brain being integrated through physical activity, they are also connected through diet. What we eat has a direct impact on how our brains function. Professor Fernando Gómez-Pinilla of the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) is a leading expert on how the body and brain are integrated through diet. To learn more about the American Sports Institute and The Aret...

The brain is not only a thinking organ, it is also a movement organ. In fact, the brain and body are directly linked through physical activity, whereby the brain positively impacts movement and movement positively impacts the brain. Professor Fernando Gómez-Pinilla of the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) is a leading expert on how the body and brain are integrated and enhance one ano...

It is common knowledge that physical activity is good for the body and our physical health. Less known is the fact that physical activity is just as beneficial for the brain and our mental health, including playing a significant role in the prevention and treatment of depression. Here with the details on this is Professor Philip Holmes of the University of Georgia. To learn more about the American...

There is no current medical procedure, surgical technique, or prescriptive drug that can prevent or slow the progression of forms of dementia, including Alzheimer's disease. However, there is something people can do to significantly reduce their chances of developing dementia or slow its progression that doesn't require medical treatment, doesn't cost anything, or have any negative...

Even though it has become increasingly recognized that physical activity benefits the physical, cognitive, and emotional well-being of individuals, the physical-activity levels of children and youth globally continues to decline, which does not bode well for their well-being when they become adults. Here to discuss the social and economic implications of this issue, including the needs and challen...

Research shows that the more physically active students are, the better their academic performance. And for 23 consecutive years, students in teacher Pete Saccone's fifth-grade class at Meridian Elementary School, just east of San Diego, California, validated this research with the highest academic tests scores in the school. The key to their success: The "Funner to Be a Runner" run...

Children and youth around the world today are not getting enough daily physical activity. The implications for their current and long-term states of health are very concerning. Here with the worldwide extent of this troubling issue is Dr. Salomé Aubert of the Active Healthy Kids Global Alliance. To learn more about the American Sports Institute and The Arete School of Sport Culture and Wellness, g...

With research showing that the more physically active students are, the better their academic performance, health, and behavior, Finland is among the global leaders in integrating physical activity into its early-childhood education and care programs, and its primary-level schools and academic classrooms. Featuring Professor Arja Sääkslahti of the Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences at the Univer...

A look at the status and engagement of physical activity in Finland, including in its schools, in society at large, and what the future holds, with Professor Timo Jaakkola of the Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences at the University of Jyväskylä. To learn more about the American Sports Institute and The Arete School of Sport Culture and Wellness, go to: www.americansportsinstitute.org. Follow the...