Is physical activity always good for teenagers' performance in school?

Published 2026-05-31 19:27
Photo: Elsa
Exercising a few times every week can help students feel healthier, happier, and more focused in school. Image: Photo: Elsa.

Many students work out and do sports after school, while others almost never do so. It's well known that exercise affect students school performance, mood, energy, and focus in a good way. But is it always like that? I interviewed different teenagers with different lifestyles to find out the answer.

The other students I interviewed who also works out about three days during the week thought the same thing. One student said that training made it easier for him to focus during lessons, and another one explained that she sleeps much better after exercising and therefore has more energy during the school day.

A girl who does not work out at all, or at least not very often, said that she gets tired easily during school days. She usually spends her time watching TV or scrolling on her phone instead of exercising. She said: “I almost never work out, but when I actually do so I feel more active and less lazy. But since I don't do that very often, I mostly feel tired and unmotivated during school days.” She explained that she would like to exercise more often, but she often don't have the motivation to start.

Another interview showed that students still can feel good without exercising a lot. One student said she feels energetic most of the time even if she almost never work out. But she also admitted that she gets distracted easily in class.

Some students I interviewed trained every single day. They had very different opinions about if training is a advantage or not for them in school. One girl said that training helps her focus better in school, especially after morning practice. She said, “If I’ve trained in the morning, I can usually focus better in school compared to days when I haven’t done so.”

When I asked if she always thought that the large amount of training was good for her, she said that too much training can become a problem. She explained: “Working out and being physically active makes you feel good. But when there is too much training, you don’t feel good either. It’s important to train a reasonable amount — not every day, but not too rarely either.”

Another student who also trains every day said that training sometimes makes her stressed because she does not have enough time for schoolwork, rest, and friends. “Training affects studying. I don’t have enough time to study, rest, or spend as much time with friends as I would like. There isn’t much recovery when you train as much as I do.” Some other students I interviewed who works out every day told the same thing.

After all the interviews, I think training affects students in different ways. Most people agreed that training can improve focus, mood, and energy. But many students also said that too much training makes the tired and can create stress and less time for schoolwork.

In conclusion, training seems to be good for students and their performance in school if it is done in a balanced way. Exercising a few times every week can help students feel healthier, happier, and more focused in class. But if training becomes too much, it can also have negative effects. The most important thing seems to be finding a good balance between school, rest, and physical activity.

References: (1) CLRN
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