Student Wellbeing

The Impact of Regular Exercise on Student Performance and Well-Being
Students have to juggle multiple responsibilities, schoolwork and extracurricular activities to personal commitments. With these pressures, many overlook one crucial factor that can significantly boost their academic performance and overall well-being: regular exercise. Physical activity is not just beneficial for physical health; it plays a pivotal role in improving cognitive function, mood, and academic success. As students navigate their hectic schedules, incorporating regular exercise into their routines can have a profound, lasting impact on their academic and personal lives.
Making it Fun works best!!
1. Set a laundry basket or cardboard box across the room or at the end of a hallway and have kids throw their stuffed animals into it. Make it a competition by keeping score and having them take a step back each time they make it.
2. Make a parachute using a bedsheet. Everyone holds onto part of it and works together to try to shake a ball or stuffed animal off of it. Or, kids can take turns running underneath it.
3. Have kids exercise as they’re practicing math or spelling. They can do jumping jacks as they spell out words, or recite math facts as they’re doing squats. Or, pass a ball back and forth as they’re spelling or practicing math.
4. The floor is lava! Challenge kids to keep a balloon in the air so it doesn’t touch the ground. Make it harder by telling them to use only their head and elbows.
5. Use a plastic cup and a ping pong ball to have a challenging toss. Have your kid toss the ball to you or another partner and try to catch it in the cup. Similar to an egg or water balloon toss, they should take a step backyards after each successful catch to make it more difficult.
6. If you get bubble wrap in a package, jump on it until it’s all popped.
7. Give your kids some active screen time with the free mindfulness and movement videos at GoNoodle for Families.
8. If the weather is bad and kids can’t go outside, take advantage of the open, covered space of your garage, if you have one. You can open up the garage door so they still get some fresh air, as they use ride-on toys or play a game of catch or kick a ball around.9. Have animal races where you walk like a crab, hop like a frog, move like a bear, waddle like a duck, slither like a snake, and whatever other animal movements you can come up with.
Jenny Willmott
Deputy Principal
Student Wellbeing Leader