'Sedentary lifestyle may lead to lower grades in boys'

Parents, take note! A sedentary lifestyle may impair your child's reading skills and academic performance, a new study has warned.
In the study, a sedentary lifestyle was linked to poorer reading skills in the first three school years in six to eight year old boys.
The study conducted at the University of Eastern Finland investigated the longitudinal associations of physical activity and sedentary time with reading and arithmetic skills in 153 children aged six to eight years old in Grades 1-3 of the primary school.
Physical activity and sedentary time were measured objectively using a combined heart rate and movement sensor in Grade one, and reading and arithmetic skills were assessed by standardised tests in Grades 1-3.

"Low levels of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity and high levels of sedentary time in Grade one were related to better reading skills in Grades 1-3 among boys," said Eero Haapala from the University of Eastern Finland.
"We also observed that boys who had a combination of low levels of physical activity and high levels of sedentary time had the poorest reading skills through Grades 1-3," said Haapala.

The study showed that high levels of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, low levels of sedentary time, and particularly their combination in Grade one were related to better reading skills in Grades 1-3 in boys.
High levels of physical activity and low levels of sedentary time were also associated with better arithmetic skills in Grade one only in boys.

In girls, there were no strong and consistent associations of physical activity and sedentary time with reading or arithmetic skills.
The study suggests that a combination of low levels of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity and high levels of sedentary time might be particularly harmful for the development of academic skills in boys, and that increasing physical activity, reducing sedentary time and especially their combination may improve academic achievement.
The study appears in the Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport.