Children need to perform three hours of exercise or physical activities per day to achieve physical fitness and success in school. That’s according to the government of Finland, a country known for having the most physically fit kids in all of Europe.
Sanni Grahn-Laasonen, Finland’s minister for education and culture, said performing ample physical activity helps children be happy and develop their social interaction skills, BBC reported. Due to the high academic success rate of physically fit kids, schools are preparing to introduce new ways of teaching.
Anneli Rautiainen, head of basic education with the Finnish National Board of Education, said the new school curriculum will include two to three hours a week of physical education and outdoor activities. They also plan to incorporate non-traditional methods of teaching that promote physical fitness. Those non-traditional teaching methods involve removing tables and chairs from classrooms so kids won’t have to sit for long periods of time while learning from their teachers.
According to the World Health Organization, children and teenagers aged between five and 17 should have at least an hour of moderate physical exercise every day. Going beyond one hour will provide additional health benefits that young people can carry until they get older. More
