World Health Day: How can playing make you better learners?

The summer holidays are on their way next month, and very soon you will be getting a lot of time to indulge in your favourite game or sport! But that doesn’t mean that when classes begin, you stop playing and focus only on your studies. You must continue spending at least an hour every day doing some kind of physical activity, even on your school days. Do you know why?

Because being physically active will help you score more marks and make you a better student! Now, you might wonder how that’s possible right? This World Health Day, let’s explore the benefits of play and how fitness positively impacts your learning!

It’s all in the mind

Being physically active helps you learn better

When you are studying for long hours every day, your mind and body both tend to become tired. So it is important that you backup all the hard work that you put in your studies with a proper fitness routine so that you remain fresh every day.

A lifestyle with very less physical activity can affect your studies and in turn your exam scores. Therefore, it is very important to make time for sports, games or any other activity, so that you become physically strong and mentally healthy.

Scientifically speaking, when you are physically active, the part of the brain that is responsible for learning and retaining information – called the hippocampus – grows bigger. The bigger the hippocampus, the faster you process information. Physical activities also release endorphins (stress-busting hormones) that make you feel more motivated to study.  

Furthermore, your nerve cells become more enhanced and your brain will develop more capacity to learn and remember lessons, and that includes all the difficult formulae in Maths or definitions in Science!

Research also shows that when you run or are involved in an active sport like football, basketball or even athletics, you become more alert and your attention levels improve. Plus, there will be a marked improvement in your reading skills.

What’s more? You even become better at solving complex problems. So the next time you attempt a difficult mock test paper, you will be able to solve it easily! All because you dedicated time to improve your fitness.

Choices aplenty 

Now that you know that being fit helps you learn better, the next step for you is to choose the right kind of sport and plan your study & play schedule accordingly. 

Experts suggest that children and adolescents (upto age 17) must have brisk activity for at least 60 minutes every day. That can include a quick game of football or cricket, or even just a simple run. 

If you are looking at something that does not require you to run much, then badminton is a good choice. As beginners, you can allocate 30 minutes for it in the morning. Or better still, take a bicycle trip before your study routine. When you return, your mind will be fresh and you will have more enthusiasm to study. 

And for those who are looking for more physical options, look no further than basketball, kabaddi or kho-kho. Just an hour of either of these games will make you pumped to study more. 

Learn teamwork by playing football

The fun doesn’t stop at just improvement of the mind and body. Certain games help you in many critical aspects of learning. Here are a few examples:

1. Cricket: Improves your ability to count mentally and helps you to remember tables. 
2. Football: Shows you the benefit of teamwork and how group activities in school are very important in the process of learning.
3. Chess: Improves your analytical thinking and increases your patience. 

After reading this, are you motivated to hit the playground? Come back and tell us what game you love and how it has made you a better learner. Share your experiences in the comments below.