The Power of Exercise
In a guest blog post, Dr Burnett – Head of Year and Head of Netball – reflects on the benefits of sport for adolescents’ physical and mental health and wellbeing.
Globally, a concerning statistic shows that over 80% of adolescents are not meeting the recommended levels of physical activity, with girls being less active than boys (Guthold et al., 2020). The World Health Organisation recommends 60 minutes of moderate aerobic physical activity for children and adolescents daily. The importance of sport, physical activity, and exercise for our health and wellbeing is well-researched, yet many of our young people are not meeting these daily recommendations.
The WHO recommends 60 minutes of moderate aerobic physical activity for children and adolescents daily.
The physical health benefits are about more than just improving fitness or physical performance; exercise improves cardiovascular health, strengthens muscles and bones and can result in better immune function. Exercise is also seen as a healthy coping strategy when dealing with stress or worry. While decreasing negative emotions and reducing stress, exercise can help in the management of mental health disorders too (Smith & Merwin 2021). Exercise can boost our endorphins, helping us to improve our mood. In terms of psychosocial well-being, exercise increases life satisfaction and positive emotions and health and psychology professionals have touted exercise as a highly effective skill for emotion regulation (Bernstein & McNally, 2018).
In an academic setting, exercise is shown to improve cognitive functioning (Mandolesi et al., 2018), with students engaging in active lifestyles often having increased energy levels, helping them to stay alert and focused in class. Moreover, exercise confers significant cognitive benefits, including enhancements in memory, creativity, attention, and academic performance. Sport is a powerful way to nurture social bonds and foster a sense of belonging, whether part of a team or group exercise. This sense of community can help students feel supported, encouraged and motivated in and out of their active environments. Sports are also fantastic for students to enhance their communication, leadership, and teamwork skills.
Movement is also essential for students with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) as it improves wellbeing, learning, and self-regulation. Movement breaks and structured exercise can improve concentration and emotional regulation, particularly for students with ADHD or anxiety. Activities tailored to individual needs can develop key motor skills such as balance, coordination and spatial awareness, which are particularly beneficial for students with dyspraxia and other motor difficulties. Ensuring that SEND students continue to access enjoyable, adaptive, and sensory-friendly movement opportunities can encourage social inclusion, foster confidence in friendships, and form positive relationships with exercise.
At South Hampstead, we take pride in our ethos of inclusive excellence.
At South Hampstead, we take pride in our ethos of inclusive excellence with a PE curriculum and sports co-curriculum that caters to all interests, whether competitive or recreational. Pupils also learn about the importance of exercise in supporting their physical and mental health and wellbeing in our PSHEE lessons. However, as we shift into the summer term, as our competitive winter sports seasons end, and we head towards the pressures of exams, there can be a drop-off in physical activity and exercise amongst pupils. Many students who thrive on the structure and excitement of regular training and matches may miss the routine, camaraderie and challenge that team sports provide. The sense of identity and purpose that comes with training can leave a noticeable gap, particularly for those who have built their school week around sports. For others, the pressure of exams often results in sacrificing their exercise or physical activity, missing out on those key moments in the week to destress, clear their minds and enjoy social time with their friends.
So, how can you help your daughters in this shift? Whether they are facing a busy exam period, the end of their season or perhaps are starting out on their exercise journey, here are some suggestions to get them started.
- Try a new sport or activity – the off-season is a great opportunity to test the transferability of existing skills or develop some new ones
- Play recreational sports and social play – encourage your daughters to play with friends or together as a family
- Focus on individual fitness or skill development – your daughter may want to work with their coaches to improve a skill ahead of the new season
Whatever your daughters’ exercise passions, here are some top tips to encourage active lifestyles:
- Establish a routine
- Create a supportive environment
- Set realistic and achievable goals
- Incorporate mindful movement
- Celebrate small victories
- Lead by example
- Balance activity with rest
In school, your daughters can sign up for a wide variety of sports in our summer timetable. Our competitive sports for the summer term include athletics, cricket and tennis and we still offer many of our recreational activities, such as basketball, pickleball, dodgeball and running club; your daughter can find the full timetable on SOCS and below are some useful links to explore our key sports outside of school: