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Many students in the US, Canada, and Asia say that physical education (PE) is their favorite subject in school! Not only does physical exercise develop healthy bodies, but it also improves students’ moods and their ability to learn. “Gym class” serves as a productive break from the classroom. However, incorporating math into elementary PE lesson plans can help students stay on course academically while receiving necessary exercise.
Math might not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of elementary PE lesson plans. However, movement and math are actually fantastic partners! Exercise is often only seen as a way to get a healthier body. But it also greatly benefits our brains.
Integrating math into physical education lesson plans will significantly improve your students’ math skills! Science backs this relationship between learning and physical activity.
The hippocampus is part of the brain within the temporal lobe that is in charge of memory and learning. Research shows that exercise promotes its growth. Most notably, a 2011 study found that aerobic exercise expanded the size of the anterior hippocampus by 2% in older adults.
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor, or BDNF, is a protein released in the brain during exercise. This protein is known as a “growth factor,” meaning it promotes neuron growth, maintenance, and repair.
In his 2008 book Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain, John Rate describes the power of BDNF: “Researchers found that if they sprinkled BDNF onto neurons in a petri dish, the cells automatically sprouted new branches, producing the same structural growth required for learning.”
In other words, when a person is physically active, their brain is ready to learn and create new neural pathways for information.
We know that exercise supports the release of BDNF and the growth of the hippocampus. In addition to that, exercise increases blood flow to the brain. This helps the hippocampus by providing oxygen and nutrients that are beneficial for growth and healthy brain function.
Furthermore, exercise reduces cortisol levels. Cortisol is known as the “stress hormone.” Over time, high cortisol levels can shrink and damage the hippocampus, negatively affecting memory performance.
All in all, being active keeps the brain and the body healthy! These boosts of brainpower are especially beneficial for young children who are rapidly developing. Incorporating math into physical education can help students grasp new concepts when they are in the prime state to learn.
So why integrate math into physical education? Numerous benefits come from using this learning strategy! Students will be strengthened mentally and physically as they grow in an active learning environment.
Research supports positive associations between physical activity, cognition, and academic achievement. Exercise activates parts of the brain (like the hippocampus) that handle complex cognitive processes.
Evidence shows that physical fitness benefits children’s cognitive function, including by enhancing their attention and memory retention. Enhancing these cognitive functions with physical activity facilitates learning. As a result, academic performance improves.
A 2009 study found that in California, students who passed the state physical fitness test scored higher on standardized tests. In addition, California students whose fitness improved between 5th and 7th grade saw a greater score increase on their standardized tests than those whose fitness declined. These pieces of evidence support the connection between academic achievement and physical fitness.
These observed cognitive benefits are important when considering incorporating math into physical education lesson plans.
Not only does exercise provide physical health advantages, but staying active also benefits children’s mental health. Research shows that physical activity improves emotional health. It reduces stress levels, which, in turn, prevents depression and anxiety.
Only one in four children in the US is getting the recommended amount of daily physical exercise. This statistic is concerningly low. Teachers can help students stay healthy by increasing physical activity throughout the school day. Integrating math into physical education can help students even more by keeping them on track academically.
Integrating math into physical education can also help with student engagement. Statistics show that about 30% of the US population struggles with math. Since math is a key part of life, giving every student the resources they need to thrive in the numerical world is important. Incorporating math into elementary PE lesson plans gives children yet another opportunity to learn.
A recent study by the National Math Foundation found that movement-based activities in school significantly increased engagement across a sample size of 492 students in 3rd through 5th grade. The data showed a highly significant relationship between the type of activities and the level of student engagement. Physical activity during multiplication lessons brought more engagement than traditional sedentary activities.
Presenting math topics in a gym class setting may result in students being more willing and excited to learn math.
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Teachers rated their students’ engagement levels for each activity, with 1 being the lowest level of engagement and 5 being the highest level of engagement.
Here are multiple strategies for integrating math into elementary PE lesson plans!
The Math & Movement Training Manual for K-5 Physical Education shares over 90 active math movements designed to help teach various locomotor, non-locomotor, manipulative, and jump rope movements while simultaneously allowing students to practice counting skills. Plus, all of these movements are sports-themed!
Active math movements are short physical exercises students can do while improving math skills. They do not require any materials other than students’ voices and bodies! They are perfect for short brain breaks in the classroom or for elementary PE lesson plans.
Many of our active math movements are also cross-lateral movements. These movements engage both hemispheres of the brain while boosting brain activity and cognitive function.
Our training manual also includes math activities by grade level that teachers can use as actual elementary PE lesson plans. Each lesson plan meets one or more of the National Standards and Gravel Level Outcomes released by SHAPE America and Common Core Math Standards.
Additionally, Math & Movement offers professional development for PE teachers. Our 1-hour webinar, Math & Movement for K-6 Grade Physical Educators, shares practical strategies for incorporating math into physical education class.
Enter your email below to receive the first chapter of the Math & Movement Training Manual for K-5 Physical Education and the recording of our Math & Movement for K-6 Grade Physical Educators webinar for FREE! The digital manual and training are perfect for educators starting to incorporate math into physical education lesson plans.
Math & Movement also offers a collection of kinesthetic learning materials meant especially for PE teachers looking to incorporate movement-based math learning into gym class! The floor mats in our PE Kit are linked to activities in our Training Manual for K-5 Physical Education.
Students can practice concepts including skip counting, addition, fractions, multiplication, elapsed time, money math, shapes, and more while meeting physical education learning objectives. Young children have so much fun moving and playing on these materials that they do not even realize they are doing math!
Easily incorporate math lessons into physical education classes with our Physical Education Kit. Includes materials that cover addition, subtraction, multiplication, and more. Perfect for all ages.
Here are two math and PE lesson plans using materials in our PE Kit! These math and physical education activities are examples of how educators can integrate math into physical education with Math & Movement.
Grades: K-2
The Hopscotch for Threes floor mat features numbers one through thirty laid out in large, colorful hopscotch squares. Every multiple of three is in a single square row. The other numbers are side by side. This colorful mat is 200 inches long and has plenty of space for multiple students to jump on it.
Have students warm up for gym class by hopscotching down the mat. Students line up and begin on “Start Here.” Have the student hopping whisper “one, two” while jumping with two feet on the numerals one and two. (One foot goes on each numeral.)
Then, have the student hop with one foot on the three, clap, and say “Three!” loudly. Continue alternating between two-foot and one-footed movement to the end of the mat.
This math physical activity game encourages gross motor skills development with alternating one-footed and two-footed landings. It also reinforces counting, number recognition, and one-to-one correspondence skills.
Grades: 3-5
The Multiplication Hopscotch floor mat features multiplication problems and solutions from “1×1=1” to “10×10=100” arranged in a colorful hopscotch format. The factors are in blocks side by side, and each product is in a single block row. Each block includes both the numeral and the number word. This mat is also 200 inches long.
Older students can warm up for gym class by hopscotching down this mat. Use the same alternating one-footed and two-footed landings on the blocks described for the Hopscotch for Threes mat. Students will practice multiplying doubles and squaring numbers!
Numerous studies have provided further supportive evidence about adding math to PE lesson plans.
A 2016 research paper published by Frontiers in Human Neuroscience discussed a study in which 165 children were separated into three groups, designated by the type of math instruction they received: fine motor, gross motor, or non-motor.
Fine motor instruction included using Lego bricks to support math concepts. On the other hand, gross motor instruction involved dynamic movements such as skipping, throwing, and jumping. Once the students were separated, they received six weeks of their group’s instruction method.
The students took a standardized test before and after the six-week teaching period. The results showed improvement in all three groups; however, the gross motor group scored significantly higher. Because of this, the research concluded that motor-enriched instruction can improve math performance.
Another 2022 study was conducted with 82 children split into two groups: one group that was given eight hours of physically active lessons every week and a control group. Researchers observed these children participating in their learning method for two years.
After the intervention, the data relayed that the active group had a much more significant improvement in cognitive functions than the control group. Thus, their gross motor skills, verbal fluency, and arithmetic improved as they participated in physically active learning.
Integrating math into physical education is a power way to enhance both academic and physical development in young learners. Research shows that movement supports cognitive functions, improves memory, and boosts overall learning potential. By combining math with physical activity, educators can help students stay engaged, reduce stress, and build confidence in their numerical skills – all while ensuring they get the exercise they need.
With easy-to-implement strategies and eye-catching kinesthetic materials, Math & Movement has all the tools PE teachers need to create a dynamic learning environment where students can thrive mentally and physically.
The next step? Bringing Math & Movement into the gym and watching students grow in both mind and body!
Movement isn't just for recess
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