A new study links children’s physical activity to academic achievement via regulation of emotions.

Physical activity in childhood is known to be able to boost self-regulation - the skill of controlling one’s emotions and behavior as required by a given context. 

However, there have been mixed findings in studies of the impact of physical activity on academic outcomes.

A new study of children in the UK has been able to link physical activity to emotional regulation in early childhood, and in turn predict academic achievement.

It included a statistical analysis of figures from the Millennium Cohort Study, a longitudinal study of 4,043 children in the UK.

The analysis showed that a greater degree of physical activity was linked to greater emotional regulation, but not behavioral regulation.

However, when the researchers accounted for the children’s socioeconomic status, physical activity was linked to lower emotional regulation and had a negligible link with behavioral regulation.

The analysis also suggested that, for 7-year-olds, physical activity positively predicted emotional regulation skills, resulting in higher academic achievement throughout early primary school. 

These findings suggest that early and sustained physical activity is an important element in children’s development and schooling. 

The researchers note that evaluating childhood risks for poor academic achievement is complex, as evidenced, in part, by the influence of socioeconomic status on the results. 

The findings demonstrate the importance of ensuring that children have access to forms of physical activity, particularly for children from less-advantaged settings who lack the resources or opportunities to participate in physical activity than their better-advantaged peers. ary school. 

For 11-year-olds, physical activity appeared to positively impact academic achievement via behavioral regulation. After accounting for socioeconomic status, these links were even more pronounced.

“Physical activity is linked to emotional regulation in early childhood and behavioural regulation in middle childhood,” the authors said.  

“This relationship predicts academic attainment, suggesting that early and sustained physical activity is an important element in children’s development and schooling. The findings demonstrate the importance of ensuring that children have access to forms of physical activity, particularly for children from less-advantaged settings who lack the resources or opportunities to participate in physical activity than their better-advantaged peers.”

The full study is accessible here.