Oakridge Elementary Gets Desks With Pedals to Help Fidgety Kids Learn

Oakridge Elementary is getting desks with bicycle pedals and swinging bars in an effort to incorporate movement and exercise into classroom learnings.

The new desks, as well as yoga ball chairs, are part of a pilot program to improve kids’ ability to learn while in school.

The idea behind the new equipment is based in science, said Heather Suave, a member of Oakridge’s 2Fit2Quit Committee and Wellness Council. Research has shown that when kids’ brains are active, which happens during exercise, they are able to retain more information.

“Kids in elementary school have the wiggles, and it’s a good energy release,” Suave said.

Oakridge Elementary was able to raise $9,000 through sponsorships and donations — from Pentagon Mixed Martial Arts, the Oakridge PTA and individual donations — to buy three of the two person pedal desks, four stand-up/swinging desks and eight yoga ball chairs.

The pilot program has only been in place for a month, Suave said, but it is already showing promise.

Jenn Crain, a third and fourth grade teacher, said the new equipment has helped with keeping her students focused and have not been a distraction in the classroom. She has had the pedal desk and standing desks in her class.

“Some of them prefer the pedal desk, some of them prefer the standing desk, some of them prefer none,” she said.

The kids have also had positive feedback toward the equipment, she said during a presentation.

Maxwell Thomas, an 8-year-old student, likes the pedal desk because they help him concentrate while he does his math schoolwork.

“I can get my body moving while I work,” Maxwell said.

Annabella Brooks, a fifth-grade student, likes the standing/swing-desk “because people have a way to fidget without making noise.”

The desk helps her concentrate and she finds it relaxing, Annabella said.

“It’s easier to think while moving,” she said.

This is the first pilot program in Virginia. The equipment is also used in 30 schools in Texas and in 32 other states, said Lowell Lease, a representative with KidsFit, the company that provides the equipment.

The company has received good feedback on the equipment from other schools as well, Lease said.

“The kids love it,” he said. “The teachers love it because the kids pay attention better.”