With the board exams less than a month away, students are turning into bookworms, skipping meals and hardly get out of home for leisure.
This worrying trend among students to secure good marks was revealed by an Exam Preparation and Practices study conducted by the Indian Medical Academy (IMA).
The survey found that only 57% of city students play outdoors and that too less than two hours a day during exams, while 23% students do not play at all.
This has obvious implications in terms of physical health, said Dr Pawan Gupta, consultant for IMA.
“Physical exercise is a must for children especially during stressful times such as exams. If they do not play, their metabolism slows down and even their growth might get stunted,’’ Dr Gupta added.
Psychiatrist Dr Harish Shetty concurred that children need to spend a few hours every day doing physical activities such as cycling, playing football and skipping.
“Instead of watching TV or playing indoor games, parents should allow them to play outside,’’ advised Dr Shetty.
But, parents are not convinced.
“I do not let my son go out and play during exam as it might affect his concentration. Instead he could spend that time in revision. He will have plenty of time to play once the exams are over,’’ said Andheri resident Anita Nagwekar, whose son is studying for the SSC board exams.
But, Dr Shetty insists that playing outdoors improves concentration and retention among students.
“Certain chemicals get triggered in the brain during physical exercises, improving memory consolidation and concentration. Playing also de-stresses children,’’ he added.
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