Does exercise help kids do better at school?
The short answer
Yes, a little, and mostly in the ways that matter for learning. Regular activity programs give a small boost to maths and overall school results (Frontiers in Public Health, 2025), and activities that make kids think while they move improve focus and memory skills (Frontiers in Psychology, 2024). Exercise is not a shortcut to top marks, but it helps the brain get ready to learn.
Key takeaways
- A 2025 review of 17 randomised trials found school activity programs improved maths and overall results, with no clear effect on reading (Frontiers in Public Health, 2025).
- Activities that combine movement with thinking, like learning new movement skills, improved self-control and working memory across 23 trials and 2,857 children (Frontiers in Psychology, 2024).
- Short classroom movement breaks improved time spent on task in 9 of 11 programs studied (BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine, 2018).
- Australian guidelines recommend at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity every day for kids aged 5 to 17 (Department of Health).
- Only 18.3% of Australian kids aged 5 to 17 met that guideline in 2023 (ABS, 2026).
Does exercise really improve school results?
It does, but the effect is modest and strongest for maths. A 2025 meta-analysis (a study that pools the results of many earlier studies) combined 17 randomised controlled trials of school activity programs for kids aged 6 to 18 (Frontiers in Public Health, 2025).
Maths scores improved, and so did overall results, although the overall finding rested on only six studies (Frontiers in Public Health, 2025). Reading and writing showed no clear benefit. The authors suggest moderate to high intensity programs lasting 24 weeks or more may work best, but they call that pattern tentative (Frontiers in Public Health, 2025).
The honest takeaway: being active does not take away from learning, and for maths it may add a little.
How does moving help a child's brain?
The clearest link is through executive function, the brain's "management system" that helps kids pay attention, hold information in mind and stop themselves acting on impulse. These skills sit underneath almost everything kids do in a classroom.
A 2024 review of 23 trials with 2,857 children and teenagers looked at "cognitively engaging" activity, meaning movement that also makes kids think, plan or learn something new (Frontiers in Psychology, 2024). It found small improvements in inhibitory control (the ability to pause and not act on impulse) and working memory (holding and using information in your head, like a set of instructions) (Frontiers in Psychology, 2024).
What kind of activity works best?
Activities where kids learn new movement skills had the biggest effect. In the same 2024 review, fundamental movement skill programs (catching, throwing, balancing, jumping and similar building blocks) beat general active games and exergaming, video games played by moving (Frontiers in Psychology, 2024).
Consistency also mattered. Programs running longer than six weeks, and more than twice a week, showed clearer benefits than shorter or less frequent ones (Frontiers in Psychology, 2024). Think of a new skill class, a dance routine or a ball sport where kids have to work things out, rather than only running laps.
Do short bursts of activity help kids focus?
They seem to help kids stay on task. A 2018 review of classroom movement breaks and active lessons found on-task behaviour improved in 9 of 11 programs, after either 10 or more minutes of moderate activity or about 5 minutes of more intense activity (BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine, 2018).
The same review found too few repeated studies to say short breaks lift test scores on their own, and most studies were of low to medium quality (BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine, 2018). So a quick run around before homework is worth trying, as long as we keep expectations realistic.
How much activity do kids actually need?
Kids aged 5 to 17 need at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity every day, the kind that makes the heart beat faster (Department of Health). On at least 3 days a week, that should include vigorous activity and activities that strengthen muscle and bone (Department of Health).
Most Aussie kids fall short, so if yours do too, you are far from alone. In 2023, 30.8% of kids aged 5 to 8 met the guideline every day, dropping to 8.2% of 12 to 14 year olds (ABS, 2026). Small, regular additions count.
A simple brain-friendly week
Aim for a mix of free play and one or two skill-based sessions where kids learn something new. Here's one way a school week could look:
| Day | Idea | Free or paid |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Ten minutes of running games before homework | Free |
| Tuesday | A skill class, like gymnastics, dance or martial arts | Paid |
| Wednesday | Walk or scoot to school, then the local playground after | Free |
| Thursday | Backyard catching and throwing challenge | Free |
| Friday | Rest day, or a family dance-off in the lounge room | Free |
| Saturday | Try a new sport with a single drop-in class | Paid |
| Sunday | Beach, bush walk or a community event | Free |
Where jumpIN fits
The research points to activities where kids learn new skills, done regularly. That's easier when trying something new doesn't mean signing up for a whole term. On jumpIN you can book a single class to see if your child loves it, or commit to a term when they do. Every provider shows their safety checks and qualifications before you book, and our free activities section lists local playgrounds, community events and markets for the in-between days. Find something new to try this week at jumpinclasses.com.
FAQ
Will more sport make my child smarter? Not on its own. Activity programs give a small lift to maths and overall results, with no clear effect on reading (Frontiers in Public Health, 2025).
What's the best type of activity for focus? Activities that teach new movement skills and make kids think, done more than twice a week for over six weeks, showed the clearest benefits (Frontiers in Psychology, 2024).
How much activity should my child get each day? At least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity every day for kids aged 5 to 17 (Department of Health).
Sources
- Frontiers in Public Health, Effects of school-based physical activity on academic achievement in children and adolescents: a systematic review and meta-analysis (2025).
- Frontiers in Psychology (Mao, Huang, Zhao and Fang), Effects of cognitively engaging physical activity interventions on executive function in children and adolescents: a systematic review and meta-analysis (23 August 2024).
- BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine (Daly-Smith et al.), Systematic review of acute physically active learning and classroom movement breaks on children's physical activity, cognition, academic performance and classroom behaviour (December 2018).
- Australian Government Department of Health, Recommendations for children and young people (5 to 17 years) (accessed 27 October 2026).
- Australian Bureau of Statistics, Children's physical activity, screen time and sleep (released 30 June 2026; 2023 data).
Written by the jumpIN team, parents on the Northern Beaches.