PIP Project

Regan Walton
 Benefits of Physical Exercise
 Often times people only think about the physiological
benefits that physical activity provides
 Maintain heart, bone and lung health
 Lower blood pressure
 Increase strength, flexibility and endurance
 Reduces fat and helps with overall body composition

 Although these factors are important we should also

take into consideration the various psychological
benefits when participating in physical activity
 Inquiry Question
What psychological factors are positively affected by
physical activity and how may they translate to
academic success in core classes?
 Goal of PIP
The importance of physical activity in courses such as
Physical Education and Sports Performance is often
overlooked especially in relation to core classes. These
classes are considered to be optional (Physical Education
after grade 10) and many students and parents forget
about the various psychological benefits that come along
with them. My goal of this PIP is to find information that
would help inform students, parents and teachers of the
importance of physical activity and how it can contribute
to core classes rather than take time away from them.
 Psychological Factors
 For this project I want to break psychological factors
into two components:
 Attitude- being able to bring a positive frame of mind to
other classes will help with overall engagement and
motivation in the class activities.
 Focus- being able to concentrate for longer periods of
time will help with information retention and avoid
distractions within the class.

 These two factors go hand in hand in the classroom

and greatly influence a students ability to be successful
 Attitude
 Physical activity has shown to be a mood booster that
also decreases the symptoms of depression and
anxiety.

 It has also been proven to increase self-esteem and

confidence which will lead to an overall positive outlook
in other aspects of their lives.
 Focus
 It has been proven that physical activity reduces
symptoms of ADHD and improve individuals
concentration and memory

 It is also shown that physical activity can alleviate

stress which will allow students to focus on the task
rather that worrying about other stressors in their life
 Connection to my Class
 After completing my research I have found various
sources of information to reinforce the idea of these
psychological benefits of physical activity. As the
students have become more confident throughout the
semester I thought it would be beneficial to include
them in the project. To back up some of the information
I have found I created a quick survey that I had the
students fill out. In the class we have focused on the
physiological effects of exercises so I used this survey
as an opportunity to talk about the psychological
benefits.
 Survey
1. Are you currently in any core classes this semester?
2. Do you find physical activity to enhance your mood levels
throughout your other classes?

3. If so do you notice a negative impact on your mood on the

days you do not participate in physical activity?

4. Do you find physical activity to enhance your ability to focus

during other classes?

5. If so do you notice a negative impact on your focus on the

days you do not participate in physical activity?
 Using this information I was able to create pie charts to
find out and compare the percentages that did or did
not reinforce the information from my project.
 Findings
Currently in Core Classes

Yes (97)
No (3%)
Find PA to enhance their mood during other classes

Yes (70%)
No (3%)
Sometimes (24%)
Unsure (3%)
Find a negative impact on their mood on the days they do
not participate in PA

Yes (50%)
No (11%)
Sometimes (31%)
Unsure (8%)
Find PA to enhance their ability to focus
during other classes

Yes (56%)
No (20%)
Sometimes (12%)
Unsure (12%)
Find a negative impact on their ability to focus on the
days they do not participate in PA

Yes (80%)
No (10%)
Sometimes (5%)
Unsure (5%)