In today's society, exercise is considered a universal activity available to most students. However, some schools “reduce physical education and recess periods to allow more time for sedentary classroom instruction,” believing this to improve the student's mental development (nytimes.com editorial board). Students, particularly athletic students, regularly engage in physical activity as a form of stress relief and as a way to bond with peers. That's why these students join organizations that allow them to experience some form of physical activity that they feel comfortable with. These activities can range from sports, such as basketball, to performing arts, such as dance. On the other hand, there are some students who have no particular interest in the exercise. These students are mostly driven by other things, such as video games, relationships, and academics. But what these students don't know is that exercise can also affect their academic performance. A study of over 800,000 students revealed that physical exercise and mental development have a significant positive correlation (Grissom 11). Physical exercise related to student organization has positive and negative effects on the mental development of students in the Philippines. Exercise is known to provide benefits in terms of academic performance. As stated by Grissom, “relative to mean SAT/9 reading and math scores, there was a consistent positive relationship between physical fitness and academic achievement” (23). This statement supports the case because test scores are the basis for determining an individual's academic performance. That said, there may be factors other than fitness at play that influence… middle of paper… Effects on cortisol levels. Np, 2013. Web. October 23, 2013. Din, Feng S. “Sports Activities and Academic Achievement for Rural High School Students.” NATIONAL FORUM OF APPLIED EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH MAGAZINE-ELETTRONICA 18.3 (2005): 1-11. 2005. Network. August 15, 2013. Grissom, James B. “PHYSICAL FITNESS AND ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT.” Pediatric Exercise Physiology 8.1 (2005): 1-15. Ement 11 Journal of Exercise Physiology Online. February 2005. Web. August 12, 2013. Sitkowski, Lee S. “The Effects of Participation in Athletics on Academic Achievement Among High School Sophomores and Juniors.” Diss. Liberty University, 2008. The effects of athletics participation on academic achievement among high school sophomores and juniors. June 2008. Web. 12 August 2013. The editorial team. “Physical exercise and academic performance.” The New York Times. Np, 24 May 2013. Web. 7 November. 2013.