Assign running, jumping, active play as homework: report

Only 13 per cent of Canadian children and youth got the recommended 90 minutes of physical activity a day last year, but assigning movement as homework could help them to achieve better grades at school, according to a report released Tuesday.

In its two-year study, the charitable organization Active Healthy Kids Canada found 87 per cent of children and youth did not get the recommended minimum of 90 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity a day, earning a failing grade.

The figure has improved from 2006, when 91 per cent of kids weren't reaching the target, the group said.

Moderate to physical activity includes a brisk walk, yard work, housework, school sports programs and playing in the park, said Mark Tremblay, chief scientific officer for Active Healthy Kids Canada.

"We're encouraging people to try and think about this as something that is fundamental to the way we live," Tremblay said.

"Lifestyle embedded physical activity throughout the day, beginning with walking to school, walking home from school, playing actively at recess and in the park in the evening."

Boosts academic performance

In Ontario, there was a 36 per cent increase in reading ability among students who took part in a school program that included more exercise, and math scores improved by 24 per cent, the report's authors found.

By improving memory, concentration and attention span, physical activity positively improves academic achievement.

Physical activity produces chemical substances that protect neurons in the brain to improve memory, concentration and attention span needed for academic achievement, as well as increasing self-esteem, self-confidence and self-image, the report's authors said.

Tips for parents, schools

Tremblay suggested that phys ed teachers could assign homework that involves extra movement during free time, and that principals could offer weekly exercise tips over the public address system.

Teachers could also include physical activity into other subjects areas, such as exploring the forest to collect leaves or acorns, he added.

Tips for parents include:

• Put a baseball glove, tennis ball or skipping rope in you child's backpack so can play before school, at lunch, recess or after school.
• Enrol your child in school sports teams, community teams or start unorganized teams at a local field.
• Give your child a pedometer to count how many steps he or she takes and work towards achieving 16,500 steps per day.
• Enjoy the Canadian winter by building snow forts and making snow angels, and participate in community programs, rather than cocooning at home.

The report card also assigned an "F" for screen time, finding 10 per cent of Canadian youth meeting the guideline of spending less than two hours a day in front of computers, video games and TVs. Many children were racking up to nearly six hours a day.

Active gaming shouldn't replace physical activity that burns more calories and has a greater impact on developing motor skills and social interaction, according to the report.

"Part of the reason that screen time is such an issue is because it's a babysitter, it's … 'Keep your kid inside so you know where they are,"' said Nancy Francis, associate professor in the department of physical education and kinesiology at Brock University.

The report card also assigned these grades:

• "D" for use of facilities, programs, parks and playgrounds.
• "B" for school infrastructure and equipment.
• "C-" for physical education in schools.
• "B+" for community programming.
• "C+" for provincial government strategies and investment.
• "D" for municipal policies and regulations.

But schools, communities and families could seize the opportunity to help children become physically active after school and before dinner, Tremblay said.