This study aimed at proving that physical fitness has a positive impact on the mental health and academic
achievement of elementary school students through analyzing the relationship between their physical fitness,
their mental health and academic achievement. The subjects of the study consisted of 269 fifth graders(boys;
135, girls; 134) from three elementary schools in Seoul. The students were subjected to a physical fitness test,
mental health test and national level achievement assessment. The results were collected and analyzed,
generating the following conclusions. First, As students showed better physical fitness, they demonstrated less
‘anxiety’, ‘depression’, ‘anger’, ‘fatigue’ and ‘confusion’, the factors of negative emotion, and more ‘vigor’, the
factor of positive emotion. And the students' total scores for physical fitness were found to be in statistical
correlation with ‘vigor’, and in negative correlation with ‘anxiety’ and ‘depression’. Second, As students had
higher degree of physical fitness, their scores for Korean language and mathematics, the factors of academic
achievement, were higher. Especially their math scores demonstrated big difference. And among the
sub-factors of physical fitness, aerobic capacity, muscular strength and muscular endurance showed low but
statistical relationships with academic achievement.