Stationary bike helping Harbour View students concentrate

A Dartmouth elementary school has introduced a stationary bike into some of their classrooms to help students exercise and concentrate. 

Harbour View Elementary says it’s using physical activity to promote literacy.

Kayla Livingston took a two minute spin on the bike while the teacher helped others with writing on Tuesday. She says her legs feel funny, but her brain feels sharp.

“Because every day when I do my math and I just come off the bike I feel stronger,” she said.

Teacher Nikki Earle uses the classroom bike to wake students up and calm them down.

“They’re excited to go on it and when they get back to their work they’re kind of recharged a little bit so I find it really beneficial in our classroom," she said.

"It has also helped with students who feel frustrated or stressed with something in their life or with some of the work they are doing. It kind of gives them a chance to have a little bit of an outlet and then they can kind of move on with what they are doing in a more positive way."

The school says most of their students don't have bicycles at home. The donated stationary bikes are silent.

They're used for students in grades one through three. Once they get to Grade 4, they can take part in a running and reading program each Tuesday after school.

“I like running. When I started the program I never, like, ran in a separate race before but now I do,” said Grade 6 student Hunter Bernard.

He says the books “are all right."

Community volunteers have been running the after school program for four years, but there's nothing in place to continue it in junior high.