School's exercise bikes help kids focus

Charlottetown's Spring Park Elementary School is trying a new approach to help students do better in the classroom.

It involves something many kids like to do already:riding bikes.

They're fidgety... then we say do you want to go and jump on the bike for a few minutes?- Terry MacIsaac, Principal

Thebikes are the stationary kind, though, set up at the end of a hallway in the school.

Nine-year old Seth Gauthier has no problem taking a break from school workto take a spin.

"They're really fun and they help a lot of kids, because half of the kids down this hall use it a lot," said Gauthier.

Spring Park school has six bikes, which cost about $500 each.

Principal Terry MacIsaac said they help kids calm down, burn off energy, and give them a break from class.

"They're fidgety, they're active, they don't like to sit down," he said. "They've been sitting for awhile, then we say, 'Do you want to go and jump on the bike for a few minutes?'"

MacIsaac said he got the idea after attending a conference in Nova Scotia where bikes are used in a lot of schools.

Staff say they have already seen a difference in students who are using the bikes and some students who have had behaviour problems are able to get back into class and focus on their lessons better after pedalling on a bike.