DEH CHO - Students at two schools in the Deh Cho will be exercising more this year in the name of learning.

Lois Philipp, the principal at Deh Gah School in Fort Providence, and Robert Byatt, the principal at Thomas Simpson School in Fort Simpson, both watched a documentary last spring inspiring a new initiative for their two schools. Titled Brain Gains, the feature aired on CBC's The National.

The clip revealed results teacher Allison Cameron observed in her students at City Park Collegiate in Saskatoon. Faced with a classroom of Grade 8 students - many with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and opposition defiance disorder - Cameron used an idea from a book written by a Harvard University psychiatrist.

The basic idea is sustained aerobic activity promotes learning and improves attention spans.

Some may question why students need added exercise when schools have regular physical education classes?

According to John J. Ratey, the psychiatrist, the difference between the program and normal gym class is the level of sustained aerobic activity.

There's a lot of down time in gym class as students wait for their turn at that day's activity, said Ratey in the documentary. For the exercise to be effective the increased heart rate has to be maintained.

To achieve that sustained level of activity, Cameron installed treadmills in her classroom and had students run for 20 minutes every day at 65 to 75 per cent of their maximum heart rate.

After four months her students gained a full grade level in reading, writing and math. Both Philipp and Byatt are hoping to repeat these results in the Deh Cho.

"It just made sense," said Philipp, about the concept.

Sustained cardiovascular activity could be what's missing from the school's teaching equation, she said.

To test the theory Philipp applied for and received $60,000 in funding to purchase and install eight treadmills, four elliptical machines and three stationary bikes. The equipment is expected to arrive by early September.

Starting later this month all of the students in Grades 7 to 12 will be encouraged to participate in an exercise program that will get their heart rates up for 20 minutes each day. The students will be given reading, comprehension and math tests throughout the year to track any changes. Students in Grades 7 and 8 are being used as the control group.

The goal, said Philipp is to make a difference and see academic growth.

"To show the students that change is possible," she said.

At Thomas Simpson School the exercise program will be more wide spread.

Using approximately $15,000 in funding from the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs the school is purchasing used and new exercise equipment that will be installed in the cultural room. Daily exercise on the machines will be compulsory for all of the students, said Byatt.

"The purpose of it is to get students on the equipment during the school days," said Byatt.

Teachers will book times for their students and bring them to the exercise room during classes before going back for more learning. Byatt hopes to see the results from Saskatoon repeated and have academic performances improve across the grade levels. Specific groups of students will be monitored as test groups to track any results.

Byatt estimates approximately 40 members of the more than 140 member student body are physically active.

"Hopefully it will catch on and hopefully kids will start to monitor their heart rates," Byatt said.