When it comes to overall physical fitness, scores have gone up over the last few years, but still, only about 50% of kids are passing the yearly physical assessment, according to state data.
Exercise science professor Evan Johnson from Quinnipiac University said it’s not just about testing, but setting up students for a better quality of life in the future.
“We want our Connecticut students to thrive once they are adults,” said Johnson. “And physical fitness is a part of them being able to thrive and flourish.”
Johnson said schools are understandably pouring their resources into hitting academic benchmarks, but it comes with a cost.
“We know that regular physical activity and not even being at a certain physical fitness level, but just the fact that you are active 60 minutes per day, is related to things like, you know, attention, cognition, and working memory,” said Johnson.
Another hurdle for students is an increased dependence on technology.
“I think the data is pretty clear that while people are still devoting a lot of time to being in front of a screen, if you were to ask them, do you want to be in front of that screen? The answer would likely be no,” Johnson said.
He said the key is for schools to change their relationship with how they prioritize movement throughout the day.
“We are active because we enjoy doing that, and we recognize the benefits,” said Johnson. “I think that is the best way to really instill physical activity as a part of everyday life in our children who are in school.”