NEW YORK, Feb 25 (Reuters Life!) - Getting students to exercise more might not just address obesity issues but also improve their grades with a U.S. study finding physically fit students tend to score higher in tests than their less fit peers.

Test scores dropped more than one point for each extra minute it took middle and high school students to complete a one mile run/walk fitness test, according to Dr. William J. McCarthy and colleagues at the University of California in Los Angeles.

Schools and parents seeking to optimize their students' academic performance should take heed, McCarthy noted in an email to Reuters Health.

For optimal brain function "it's good to be both aerobically fit and to have a healthy body shape."

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