Whether it’s the SAT, Advanced Placement exams, or a daily-grade quiz, testing looms large in every high schooler’s mind.

It’s near the end of the school year, and final exams are just around the corner. Students desperately cram in as much information as possible before their exams, often forgoing sleep to do so. However, recent research informs us that the test scores the students get back may not be satisfactory in comparison to the amount of work put in. So, how can you boost your test scores?

What if someone told you that walking to school on the day of a test could be the difference between an 86 and a 91? As hard as it is to believe, it is true. Exercise has been scientifically proven to help boost your test scores. Here are the facts.

In 2011, scientists From the University of Dublin studied the effects of activity on test performance. Specifically, they compared students who remained sedentary and students who exercised vigorously in the thirty minutes leading up to an evaluation. What they discovered was those who exercised had much higher levels of a protein called brain-derived neurotrophic factor, or BDNF, which is known to promote the health of nerve cells. The students who did not  exercise showed no change in BDNF levels.

Numerous schools around the world have taken note of the benefits of exercise on classroom performance. Schools in Finland provide students with 75-minute recesses, as opposed to 25-minutes in the United States. The Finnish students went on to score top marks in the 2009 Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) for the fourth consecutive time, while the US students consistently rank well down in the middle of the pack.

It is not just researchers at renowned universities who believe in the value of physical activity. The CHS faculty agree that exercise is beneficial. “Exercise during a school day, even in the form of brain breaks, can help you out,” said Coach Chip Lowery. “[Exercise] does a whole lot for a number of things, [such as] helping you keep focused.” Lowery also noted that exercise can alleviate anxiety and help students correct their posture from slouching. “[Exercise] is definitely a benefit. There’s nothing I’ve ever seen that says it isn’t.”

Besides stress and posture, exercise also improves mood, boosts self-confidence, prevents cognitive decline, sharpens memory, and increases relaxation. “I try to get a small workout in everyday, and I definitely feel the benefits,” Lowery said. “Sometimes even if all you can get in is a little bit of walking, or some stretching, there’s a benefit right there.”

So the next time you are prepping for a big test, try walking to school that morning. For even better results, include a small workout in your daily schedule. Maybe you will surprise yourself when you sit down to take that test.