A 2005 study reported in the Journal of Exercise Physiology compared how nearly 900,000 fifth-, seventh- and ninth-graders scored on a state-mandated fitness test in California, with the reading and math performance of those students on a standardized achievement test. Guess what? The fittest students had the best test scores. For example, the average math score of students who met only three of six fitness goals was 48; kids who met all six fitness goals had an average math score of 60.

"Results indicate a consistent positive relationship between overall fitness and academic achievement," said the study ( The Wall Street Journal, Aug. 30, 2005). This study is one of many that have recently documented the benefits of exercise not just for your body but for your brain, with improvements in short-term memory and the ability to process data.

"Acute bouts of exercise" have also been found to reduce depression and anxiety. Now researchers are trying to determine how much and what type of exercise produces the best brain benefits. While they're trying to figure it out, how about going for a jog? Like the apostle Paul said, "Bodily exercise profits a little" (1 Timothy 4:8).