Physical activity does the body good, and there’s growing evidence that it helps the brain too. Researchers in the Netherlands report that children who get more exercise, whether at school or on their own,     1     to have higher GPAs and better scores on standardized tests. In a     2     of 14 studies that looked at physical activity and academic     3    , investigators found that the more children moved, the better their grades were in school,     4     in the basic subjects of math, English and reading.

The data will certainly fuel the ongoing debate over whether physical education classes should be cut as schools struggle to     5     on smaller budgets. The arguments against physical education have included concerns that gym time may be taking away from study time. With standardized test scores in the U.S.    6     in recent years, some administrators believe students need to spend more time in the classroom instead of on the playground. But as these findings show, exercise and academics may not be     7     exclusive. Physical activity can improve blood     8     to the brain, fueling memory, attention and creativity, which are     9     to learning. And exercise releases hormones that can improve     10     and relieve stress, which can also help learning. So while it may seem as if kids are just exercising their bodies when they are running around, they may actually be exercising their brains as well.