USA Today – Noell Dickmann and Jen Zettel
“A two-year study published in February 2016, which Omro school district administrators referred to as they brought the physical equipment into classrooms, found that elementary students who had physical activity incorporated into their lessons significantly improved in their math and spelling performance. But staff in Omro said they were pleasantly surprised to see the benefits of the physical activity go beyond academics, as students’ behaviors and mental health symptoms improved as well. Dr. Eric Smiltneek, a family physician for ThedaCare in Oshkosh, said there is a clear link between exercise and mental health. He referenced a 2008 book by Harvard psychiatry professor John Ratey called “Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain,” which discusses how exercise activates the attention centers of the brain, especially in children.”(more)