At a glance
- Physical activity before and after school can benefit students by increasing their overall physical activity and improving grades and test scores.
- Encouraging students to be physically active before and after school helps them find activities they enjoy and might pursue long term.
- Staying physically active over the summer helps children prepare mentally, physically, and emotionally for the upcoming school year.
- Getting enough sleep contributes to a student's overall health and well-being.
Why it's important
Physical activity before and after school includes walking or biking to and from school programs. It also includes participating in:
- Physical activity clubs.
- Intramural programs (sports organized by the school or community in which any child can participate).
- Interscholastic sports (competitive sports between schools).
- Before- and after-school extended day programs.
Children and adolescents who do not get enough sleep have a higher risk for many health problems. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine outlines how much sleep children need, depending on their age.
Students who stay physically active over the summer can be more prepared mentally, physically, and emotionally for the upcoming school year.
To stay healthy and active during the summer, children and adolescents need to:
- Be physically active for at least an hour every day.
- Eat a variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat or non-dairy items, and proteins.
Resources
- CDC | Ideas for Parents: Before and After School Physical Activity
- Alliance for a Healthier Generation | Healthy Out-of-School Time Assessment
- Data Brief: Provide Physical Activity Before and After School
- National After School Association | Standards for Healthy Eating and Physical Activity, and Healthy Equity in Out-of-School Time
- SHAPE America | Before- and After-School Physical Activity and Intramural Sport Programs (2013)
Content Source:
Division of Adolescent and School Health; National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (NCCDPHP)
- National Academy of Medicine. Educating the Student Body: Taking Physical Activity and Physical Education to School. National Academies Press; 2013. Accessed September 10, 2024. https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/18314/educating-the-student-body-taking-physical-activity-and-physical-education
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. School health guidelines to promote healthy eating and physical activity. MMWR Recomm Rep. 2011;60(RR-5):1–76.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Health and Academic Achievement. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; 2014. Accessed September 10, 2024. https://www.cdc.gov/healthyschools/health_and_academics/pdf/health-academic-achievement.pdf