1. Keating et al. (2013) found an association between weekly strength exercise frequency and academic performance at a large U.S. university. Students self-reported the frequencies with which they partook in strength exercises (30 minutes/day minimum) and their GPA (categorized by A, B, C, D/F ranges). Results revealed that those that engaged in strength exercise more frequently had significantly higher GPAs. Effects Of Physical Activity On Academic Performance The Pennsylvania State University / Eberly College of Science Jacqueline Yip & Olivia Kuzio As science students ourselves, we understand the pressures and demands of these disciplines. We exercise to relieve stress and reset our minds in order to better perform academically. As LAs, we can encourage students to lead healthy lifestyles like these outside of the classroom to improve their performance in the classroom. The education system, through faculty, can play a larger role to promote healthier lifestyles among students. Professors who understand the benefits of physical activity can help improve students’ overall academic performance and learning ability by endorsing exercise as a positive supplement to studying. SIGNIFICANCE & APPLICATIONS In recent years, there have been an increasing number of discussions about health and wellness in the college and university setting. Physical activity has further been identified as closely tied to the academic performance of college students. It has become important to understand as a part of the collegiate scientific community and as students of a demanding discipline strive to achieve academic success while maintaining our health and wellbeing. CONCLUSION Discussions about health and wellness have become increasingly more common in college and university settings in recent years. The relationship between physical activity and academic performance of college students has not been well studied in the past. Because there are more students enrolled in post-high school education institutions in our country now than there ever have been before, understanding the relationship between physical activity and academic performance has become extremely important. INTRODUCTION Aweau et al. (2013) studied the relationship between exercise and academic performance in college students. Students self-reported their personal patterns of physical activity and GPA when completing the American College Health Association’s National College Health Assessment (ACHA-NCHA) in a general health course with 1,600 students. The results showed that college women reporting a higher GPA were participating in exercise for a greater number of days than women with lower GPAs. No significant trends were observed for college males. METHODS 1 Aweau, J., Stucks, M., Colacicco, M., Farnell, G., Cunliff, E., & Powers, M. (2013). Academic performance and physical activity of college students. International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings, 11(1), 26. Flynn, J. I., Piazza, A. K., & Ode, J. J. (2009). The association between study time, grade point average and physical activity participation in college students. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 41(5), 297. Doi: 10.1249/01.MSS.0000355455.64403.18 REFERENCES Table 1: Weekly strength exercise frequency days by *GPA. Flynn et al. (2009) studied how exercise affects student academic behaviors and approaches to learning and studying. Undergraduate students were asked to complete an online survey. Physical activity was defined as vigorous or moderate, academic behavior was assessed as the amount of time spent studying per day, and academic performance was assessed as cumulative GPA. The results showed that students who studied for 3 or more hours per day and achieved GPAs greater than 3.5 were more likely to participate in vigorous physical activity on a regular basis. METHODS 2 METHODS 3 Table 2: Means (SD) of weekly strength exercise frequency by year in university, sex, and ethnicity Figure 2: The relationship between aerobic capacity and mathematical achievement Figure 3: Topographic maps of the P3 component as a function of session and task congruency Figure 1: Comparison of reading comprehension, spelling, and arithmetic scores after 20-minute walk and without walking Hillman, C. H., Erickson, K. I., & Kramer, A. F. (2008). Be smart, exercise your heart:exercise effects on brain and cognition. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 9, 58- 65. Doi:10.1038/nrn2298 Hillman, C. H., Pontifex, M. B., Raine, L. B., Castelli, D. M., Hall, E. E., & Kramer, A. F. (2009). The effect of acute treadmill walking on cognitive control and academic achievement in preadolescent children. Neuroscience, 159(3), 1044-1054. Doi: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2009.01.057 Keating, X. D., Castelli, D., & Ayers, S (2013). Association of weekly strength exercise frequency and academic performance among students at a large university in the United States. The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 27(7), 1988-1993. Doi: 10.1519/JSC.0b013e318276bb4c REFERENCES (CONT.)