The Fitness Survey performed by the President's Council on Physical Education and Sport found that half of all U.S. school children do not participate in enough exercise to effectively maintain a functioning cardio-respiratory system. Home school students can easily become more fit than the average American public school student by implementing a "structured" physical fitness program.
Studies have shown children and adults who are aerobically fit are at a lower risk level for many diseases such as hypertension, heart attacks, strokes, diabetes, and ulcers. Children and adults who exercise regularly also tend to keep their body weight at a normal level.
Many studies have also found a relationship between physical fitness and better academic performance. Experiments/studies showed that public school children who regularly exercised 80 minutes a week earned higher grades in French, math, natural science and English than their peers who had no physical activity during the school day. In addition, these studies show that children who participate in structured programs of vigorous exercise possess greater mental acuity and stronger interest in learning than those who do not.
No matter what your child's age, you can help develop the skills and interests that contribute to lifelong fitness. From age 2, children develop their basic movement skills. This is a critical time for laying the foundation that will help your child succeed in sports and fitness later on in life. Emphasize movement in your child's play, incorporating such skills as catching, rolling, bouncing, kicking and tossing a ball; hitting a ball with a bat; jumping; hopping; skipping; and running. At age 6, children begin to use basic motor skills to build more complex movements. Our Homeschool Tools Physical Education program covers children from 6-17 years of age.