Ask a group of grade school students to name their favorite class and the overwhelming and immediate response is “recess!”  Kids are not wired to sit still for hours focused on learning math equations or memorizing facts.  They’re built to move and need the time in their day to unplug their brain and restart their legs.  

However, school administrators and teachers are facing growing pressure to reduce this play time in favor of more instruction time to meet tougher academic standards.  Two new research studies argue that would be counterproductive showing that exercise and aerobic fitness are key contributors to cognitive performance.