Walk into a typical middle school classroom and you’ll likely find students seated in rows, eyes on screens or textbooks. While this traditional setup has its place, research is mounting that suggests we need to rethink the stillness that often defines the school day. Movement could be the missing piece in unlocking better learning, memory, and mental health outcomes for middle school students.
The Brain on Movement
Physical activity isn’t just good for muscles; it fuels the mind. A study from Boston Children’s Hospital found that consistent activity, even just 60 minutes several times a week, lights up brain circuits responsible for attention, memory, decision-making, and executive function. These are precisely the cognitive skills middle schoolers need as they tackle increasingly complex academic material and begin developing critical life habits.
Movement as a Literacy Tool
Incorporating movement into classroom learning, especially in subjects like English Language Arts, makes content more memorable and meaningful. “When movement is woven into learning, especially around literacy, the lesson becomes more ‘memorable,’” notes Susan Griss, author of Mind/Body Tools for the Classroom. Whether students act out scenes from a novel, create gestures to remember vocabulary words, or physically map out story structure, movement transforms passive reading into active learning.
Middle school students, still deeply connected to their physical selves, benefit when learning becomes embodied. Griss explains that adding interpretive movement allows students to “insert themselves into the narrative,” increasing engagement and emotional connection to the material.
Movement Is a Mental Health Ally
The benefits of movement go beyond academics. Across the board, physical activity is shown to be a powerful mental health tool, a crucial consideration as we face rising rates of anxiety and depression among adolescents.
Regular movement releases brain chemicals associated with happiness and emotional regulation. This is particularly critical in middle school, when students often experience the first signs of emotional distress or mental health challenges.
In a study published by JAMA Pediatrics involving more nearly two million participants in Taiwan, researchers discovered that “children and adolescents in better-performing fitness quantiles exhibited lower cumulative incidences of anxiety disorders, depressive disorders, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Notably, enhanced cardiorespiratory fitness, muscular endurance, and muscular power were independently associated with reduced mental disorder incidences in this demographic, even after accounting for confounding factors.”
The study revealed that even small improvements in fitness can make a big difference – just 30 seconds of improved fitness performance reduced the risk of anxiety, depression, and ADHD by 7–8% in teens. Movement isn’t just about fitness; it’s about giving students tools for resilience.
From Recess to Community
Movement also has social benefits. Team sports and physical group activities help students build collaboration, social responsibility, and empathy. Whether it’s a PE game, after-school sport, or a classroom activity that gets students working and moving together, the result is stronger peer connections and a sense of belonging.
Middle school is a critical time for identity formation and social-emotional learning. Movement-based activities support these developmental needs by encouraging communication, teamwork, and mutual support — essential components of a healthy school climate.
Reimagining the School Day
So how can educators and school leaders weave movement into the middle school experience without disrupting curriculum?
- Classroom Integration: Use movement as a learning tool — acting out literature, building physical models, or walking debates.
- Active Breaks: Incorporate short physical breaks between lessons to reenergize students and improve focus.
- Support for PE: Protect and expand physical education programs, treating them as core to mental and academic health, not just “specials.”
- Flexible Spaces: Rethink classroom and school design to encourage movement — standing desks, outdoor learning zones, or kinesthetic learning stations.
GALS Denver Believes in the Power of Movement in Education
Movement is offered in service of learning and to stimulate engagement and intellectual capacity. Teachers embed movement into their lesson plans and units throughout the year to deliver, support and enhance content; as well as infusing daily opportunities for students to be active in the classroom. Cognitive development, classroom culture, and student wellness are promoted in this model. A student's overall experience as a learner is enhanced through the habitual and creative use of movement. Learn more about our innovative approach to movement in learning.
A Call to Action
Educators, parents, and policymakers must recognize what the data and brain science are telling us: movement is not a distraction from learning — it’s a critical part of it. For middle schoolers especially, movement helps them manage stress, deepen understanding, and stay connected — to learning, to each other, and to themselves.
““We want students to challenge themselves and learn about what their bodies are capable of no matter their ability or background. We want them to explore movement, to feel more successful over time and know that they are growing.” – Cara Grant, President of SHAPE America, in an interview with neaToday.
It’s time we moved past the myth that learning happens best in silence and stillness. GALS Denver is committed to giving our students room to move.
