Why Exercise is Important for Students

The benefits of physical activity in school are many?

• Improves attention in the classroom

• Improves memory and brain health

• Reduces risk of depression

• Improves muscular fitness

• Builds strong muscles

• Builds endurance

• Helps to maintain blood sugar levels

• Helps to improve blood pressure

• Contributes to bone health

All these benefits help children to develop healthy bones, muscles, and joints. They help to develop the heart and lungs. They help with muscle strength and overall coordination. Perhaps most important, physical activity helps children to maintain a healthy body and healthy weight.

Three types of exercise and all are important.

Aerobic activity, muscle strengthening and bone strengthening, area all important in healthy children. Together these three represent physical activity.

Types of overall body exercises

You may be wondering what type of physical activity is best? The full body exercises like running, brisk walking, hiking and swimming are just a few to the “total body” exercise activities.

Peaceful Playgrounds Physical Activity Programs

Peaceful Playgrounds has a wide variety of physical activity programs for students K-12. The programs are listed below with a brief description and a link to the specific program information page.

Peaceful Playgrounds Recess Program Kit

Are you tired of playground arguments and confrontations? Post recess discipline issues steal away a principal’s time and classroom teaching opportunities. Principals across the nation have turned to Peaceful Playgrounds Program for over 20 years to solve these problems. The Peaceful Playgrounds Program is in over 8000 schools across the nation which attests to its effectiveness in solving problems like bullying, playground arguments, and playground confrontations. The Peaceful Playgrounds Program is an inexpensive physical activity program that improves recess and overall school climate in before, during and after-school programs. Best of ALL children love the colorful transformation provided by the 100 NEW games and activity choices on the playground.

Walking/Jogging Track

Peaceful Playgrounds Walking and Running Track is great for getting kids moving and perfect for those days when it is too wet to run out on the field. The track was designed for schools who rarely have the benefit of a designated running space. Some schools have put the track on the perimeter of the blacktop playground and others have added it to a large square on one portion of the playground. It also gives the local community a place to exercise.

Fitness FunZone Trail

The Fitness Fun Zone Fitness Trail has 24 stations which can be configured to meet your needs. You can make a huge 24 station fitness trail utilizing all 24 station stencils or 2 smaller 12 station trails.

The 12 jump rope stations include: Bell, Basic jump, skier and straddle cross jumping to name a few.

The permanently painted fitness trail stations means you won’t be carrying those large orange cones out to the playground with station cards that fly away and get lost.

We Count Pedometer Walking Program

The We Count Student Walking Program uses pedometers as an aid to kids in fighting fat. The complete program kit ensures your success with the We Count! Each set includes 10 Student pedometers, progress charts, certificates, logs, newsletters, and motivational stickers. The program’s design is based on research that indicates that inexpensive step-counting devices (pedometers) motivate and educate kids to walk and be more active, thereby impacting the alarming number of overweight children. This innovative new program is designed to get kids fit with the slogan, “Get Fit, Don’t Sit”.