Fit 2 Learn at Prince Edward CI, physical activity for secondary school students

Fit 2 Learn at Prince Edward CI, physical activity for secondary school students
Posted on 12/02/2013

Students at Prince Edward Collegiate Institute are looking forward to being part of a fun event this week.

Students who are participating in the Fit 2 Learn pilot project will be joined by Michelle Hillier of GROOVE Edge on Thursday, December 5, 2013. They will celebrate physical activity and learning. Hillier will also engage the students in new activities that can be used in classrooms in the coming weeks.

Fit 2 Learn is taking place at PECI in collaboration with Jen Ronan of the Hastings & Prince Edward Counties Health Unit. It has been piloted at the school since the spring of 2013. Fit 2 Learn integrates daily physical activity breaks into secondary school classrooms.

It is believed that adding exercise into daily life improves physical and mental health, as well as academic performance in the following ways:

  • improves memory, mood and behavior;
  • improves motivation, wellness and attention spans;
  • lowers anxiety and depression; and
  • improves self-esteem.

The concept was adapted from "Sparking Life Niagara" and the book "Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain" by Dr. John Ratey, an associate clinical professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School.

For more information, please contact:
Kerry Donnell, Communications Officer, 613-966-1170 or 1 800 267-4350, extension 2354, [email protected]