Want to help your kids do their best in school? Physical activity may be the key.

A new study on middle-schoolers found a clear correlation between children who performed best on fitness tests to those who performed better academically.

It seems as though that old "mind-body connection" may be  demonstrating itself yet again.  So, now we can encourage our children to go outside and play after they finish their homework, and we'll know we're helping them...finish their homework.

"Results from the study, which included 317 students in grades six through eight, showed that the fittest group of students scored almost 30 percent higher on standardized tests than the least fit group. And the least fit students had grades in four core classes that were 13 percent to 20 percent lower than all other kids, according to findings presented at a recent ACSM meeting.

Experts speculate that exercise may boost academic performance in various ways, including: burning off pent-up energy and allowing kids to pay attention better and focus on their work; boosting self-esteem and mood; and increasing blood flow to the brain, helping with memory and concentration."

See more related content and a whole article on this study by Jacqueline Stenson at:  www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26207599/