Exercise removes fat deposits and strengthens your heart. It increases bone density, builds muscles, and lowers the risk of heart disease, strokes and cancers. But exercise is also an incredible coping mechanism with restorative and healing powers for the mind. One study concluded that moderate to vigorous physical activity at ages 6 and 8 is linked to fewer symptoms of depression two years later.

One of the most important elements of exercise for growing kids is that it serves as a stress dispeller. Exercise gives pent up mental energy a healthy outlet that might otherwise lead to behavioral issues and disruptions. Being active on a daily basis also means your young scholar will have greater mental clarity, focus, creativity and insight.

And yet, today’s generation of sedentary kids are developing a host of problems, both physical and mental. Kids are developing insulin resistance. Childhood obesity is rampant. And we all know obese kids are at a higher risk of developing heart disease, diabetes and strokes. Studies also show they are more likely than their normal-weight peers to develop certain cancers. Today’s kids are also depressed like never before. Suicide rates have skyrocketed to unprecedented rates.

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These depressing facts aren’t solely attributed to the lack of exercise, of course. Unhealthy eating patterns and a life increasingly lived virtually on smartphones are also to blame. But they go hand in hand. Kids who exercise are more prone to eat healthier, and kids who exercise more are less prone to be confined to their phones. At the very least, exercise can help fight some of the devastating consequences of unhealthy eating and behavioral patterns. Here are some of the incredible benefits of exercise. (It’s worth sharing with your kids too since knowledge empowers kids.)

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