The TL/DR...

  • A well-designed school-based physical activity program can benefit not only a child’s academic learning and social-emotional development, but it can support their overall well-being.
  • Comprehensive school physical activity programs offer multiple ways for students to become more active throughout the school day.
  • Before and after school programs can offer expanded and inclusive access to diverse activities appealing to a student’s personal interests.

School is a community central to a child’s life which influences many aspects of their development. Not only is school a place where children learn core academic subjects such as mathematics, science, and language arts, but it is a place where children develop social-emotional skills, the ability to work as a team, and a sense of self-confidence. These attributes are essential to a child’s cognitive and psychological development. But school is also a place that can—and should—support a child’s physical fitness, which is a vital component of a child’s general well-being. Research suggests that implementation of a quality school-based physical activity program can play a key role in supporting a child’s holistic development and growth.

A comprehensive school physical activity program emphasizes the well-being of the whole child with the goal of supporting their physical, mental, and cognitive health both in and out of school. It should be designed to ensure that students get a minimum of the nationally recommended 150 minutes of physical activity per week. A comprehensive program will consist of several elements including quality physical education (PE) classes aligned with K-12 curriculum standards, before school programs, after school programs, and physical activities that can be integrated into recess or classroom routines throughout the day. Risto Marttinen, associate professor and Academic Program Coordinator of the Health and Physical Education Program at George Mason University, recently shared his thoughts on the importance of physical activity for school age children.

PE classes that are part of the school curriculum provide many benefits.

Participating in a PE class that is part of the school curriculum provides many benefits. Among these, PE can help a student achieve overall physical fitness. In addition, the PE curriculum, especially units focused on team sports, can teach students the importance of working as part of a cohesive team in pursuit of a common goal. The PE curriculum also teaches students the concepts of resilience and leadership—traits that can help them successfully manage challenges they may encounter throughout their lives.

Before and after school sport and recreation programs can benefit students who may not feel comfortable in traditional PE classes.

While many students look forward to PE classes, others may not share the same enthusiasm. For some students, PE may be too competitive. Setting non-competitive students against their competitive peers in a PE class may cause self-consciousness, intimidation, and anxiety. In addition, a student’s gender and sexual orientation may influence how they feel about PE classes in schools. For individuals who are not comfortable with traditional PE, before and after school sport and recreation programs can supplement the benefits they receive from a standards-based curriculum. The benefits obtained through these programs are provided in a setting where some students might feel more at ease.

Before and after school programs can offer a wide range of physical and recreational activities of interest to the student—specialized activities they otherwise might not be able to access through “regular” PE classes. These can cover a broad range of personal interests such as dance, tennis, drama, writing, biking, and other pursuits that may appeal to an individual. In addition, before and after school programs are often conducted in collaboration with community organizations including youth sports leagues, athletic clubs, local parks and recreation facilities, and city or town government centers. Before and after school programs can provide students with the opportunity to participate in activities of interest at an affordable cost—all within a welcoming space where they feel a sense of belonging and camaraderie with like-minded peers.

Incorporating physical activity breaks into classroom routines can allow students to “recharge” so that they remain focused on learning.

Just as adults can benefit from taking short breaks during the workday to stretch or go for a short walk, the same is true for children in school. It can be difficult for some children to remain attentive for the prolonged periods of time that make up the traditional scheduling practiced in many K-12 schools. Incorporating physical activity at brief intervals throughout the school day can allow a child to “recharge” and keep them focused. For example, an elementary school teacher can schedule classroom breaks during which the students can participate in simple physical exercises involving running, walking, or jumping in place. Other activities could include stretching or singing a song while clapping. Fun activities such as these can provide the child with the opportunity to release excess energy. This can make them more ready to learn and increase the likelihood of successful academic outcomes.

Before and after school programs are being implemented at schools in other parts of the world.

Proponents of before and after school programs in the United States point out that the success of these initiatives has led to the implementation of similar programs abroad. An example is Finland which recently established the Finnish Model for Leisure Activities, a program to promote the well-being of that country’s children and young people. Piloted in 2021, this initiative provides every child and young person in Finland the opportunity to participate in a leisure activity such as dance, horseback riding, hockey, or other activity that interests them free of charge during the school day. Elsewhere around the globe, the positive benefits of U.S. before and after school programs have provided a roadmap for establishing comparable programs in South America.


To learn more about degree offerings in the Health and Physical Education Program at George Mason University, please visit the program website.