High physical activity levels are associated with better academic performance in boys, according to a recent study. The Finnish study found that the connection between increased physical activity levels and heightened academic achievement was greater in the first three school years, especially among boys.

The study was published in PLOS ONE and was a collaboration between the Physical Activity and Nutrition in Children (PANIC) Study conducted at the University of Eastern Finland and the First Steps Study at the University of Jyväskylä.

The study investigated relationships of various types of physical activity and sedentary behavior assessed in first grade to reading and arithmetic skills in grades 1 involving 186 Finnish children. Researchers found that increased levels of physical activity at recess were connected to enhanced reading skills, and participation in organized sports was linked to higher arithmetic test scores in grades 1.

The study showed that boys who participated in increased levels of physical activity, particularly walking and biking to and from school, had better reading skills than boys who were not as active.

Additionally, boys who spent more time participating in computer and video games attained higher arithmetic scores than did boys who spent less time on the computer and playing video games.

Among girls, researchers discovered only a handful of links between physical activity and sedentary behavior with academic achievement when different confounding factors were controlled for.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, children and adolescents should complete 60 minutes, or one hour, or more of physical activity per day.