Take a look at another good reason schools need to preserve broad and deep athletic programs for their students:  physical exercise may improve brain functions.

The Feb. 10, 2011 Augusta (GA) Chronicle added thoughtfully to this discussion when staff writer Tom Corwin reported on a study from the Georgia Prevention Institute at Georgia Health Sciences University.

In the study published in the online Health Psychology it was reported that increasing amounts of exercise had a positive effect on the ability of Augusta children ages 7 to 11 to achieve goals and exercise self-control.

Lead author Dr. Catherine L. Davis told Corwin:  “You have to use your brain to exercise . . . Your brain is coordinating your movements.”  And using the brain develops the brain, gives it a workout, like muscles in the body.

Everybody involved admits it’s a bit early to draw too many conclusions and that more research is needed, but Dr. Davis believes the initial findings should be enough to have policy-makers thinking seriously.

It should also give pause to those wielding budget-cutting axes.

(Note:  Our first source for this story was athleticbusiness.com.  You can find Mr. Corwin’s full article at augustachronicle.com.  The topic is also reported on Feb. 13, 2011 in Education Week’s blogs “Schooled in Sports” (edweek.org).