By Steven Reinberg MONDAY, Dec. 31 (HealthDay News) -- Since the
advent of the federal government's No Child Left Behind Act in
2001, some schools have been cutting or eliminating recess to
spend more time teaching academics. Now the American Academy of
Pediatrics is urging schools not to cut recess, which the
organization says is a much-needed break and helps children
develop a healthy lifestyle. "Recognizing the need for schools
-- on ever-more-stretched budgets and time constraints -- to
foster academic achievement amid new calls to support physical
activity/obesity prevention, our study suggests that recess
promotes a healthy learning environment and can help schools in
meeting both demands," said lead researcher Catherine
Ramstetter, a member of the Academy's committee on home and
school health. "Importantly, recess should be used as a
complement to physical education classes, not a substitute,"
added Ramstetter, a health educator at the Christ College of
Nursing and Health Sciences in Cincinnati. Recess