Schools Get Creative With Physical Education Programs

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch (5/16, Gregorian) reports on the merits of physical education classes at elementary schools, and innovative ways that teachers are incorporating physical activity in classrooms. For instance, the Maplewood-Richmond Heights district, in addition to requiring "200 minutes a week of physical activity" for students, also "encourages teachers to incorporate brain breaks by having students stretch and run in place in the classroom." The Post-Dispatch also notes that health experts have "point[ed] out that physical activity is also beneficial to the brain," and as such goes on to report on a few studies connecting PE to higher test scores.