Fitness quiz: How does your family rate?

The effects of daily physical activity on learning
Daily physical activity has a positive effect on student performance and academic achievement, according to a review published in the Canadian Journal of Public Health. Memory, observation skills, problem-solving and decision-making skills all improve in students who engage in 30 minutes of physical activity a day. Active students also show significant improvements in attitude, discipline, behaviour and creativity. Physical education has also been linked to improved academic performance, particularly in mathematics, among elementary school children.

Preliminary findings of the 2001 National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth, a long-term study of Canadian children conducted jointly by Statistics Canada and Human Resources Development Canada that follows their development and well-being from birth to early adulthood, show that Canadian children between the ages of 4 and 9 who participated in activities, particularly sports, tended to have fewer difficulties in reading or math than those who rarely or never participated.

Girls, did you know:
• Young females who are physically active in sports are 92 per cent less likely to use drugs and 80 per cent less likely to have an unwanted pregnancy than their less physically active peers

• Girls who increase their level of physical activity and calcium intake by a modest amount can reduce the risk of osteoporosis at age 70 by almost one-third.

• Physically active kids report lower levels of smoking and alcohol consumption than their less active counterparts

• Exercise plays a role in reducing anxiety, depression and tension.

• Physical activity helps build kids' self esteem and helps them cope better with stress.