Finally, a guilt-free reason to splash out on that skiing trip! Children who hit the slopes perform better at school, research shows

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German sports scientist Frieder Beck believes that because skiing needs planning and concentration skills, it sharpens a child's mind 

Fondue, fresh air, apres-ski and fantastic mountain scenery... there are numerous reasons to head for the Alps come winter time.  

But scientists have now come up with a guilt-free reason to book that pricey ski trip - it could make your kids perform better at school.   

The sports scientist and brain researcher Frieder Beck has analysed various studies on how movement affects the brain and developed a theory of which sports are the most effective at improving intelligence. 

Speaking at a winter sports congress in the German town of Rottach-Egern, Frieder Beck, who also works as coach of the German national team men's freestyle skiing team, revealed that focusing on one activity helps to sharpen the brain, which can start to become less effective if it is unused. 

To back up his theory, Beck cited a number of international scientific studies, including one which examined the cardiovascular system of 265,000 subjects at 18 years old and predicted their intelligence in later life.

He also referred to a study which examined 4,500 primary school students who underwent a fitness programme for 12 months. 

According to the results, the students showed increased performance in both mathematics and language skills as a result.

Meanwhile, children who were inactive or suffered from obesity performed worse at school. 

According to the scientist, two weeks skiing has a beneficial effect on a person's cognitive performance 

The positive effects of sport were particularly strong when associated with medium to strong levels of sport activity, as well as the difficulty of building expertise and forward-planning when manoeuvring down a slope. 

According to Beck, because skiing calls for skills like planning and concentration early on in life, it helps to sharpen the mind of a young child, with the beautiful scenery also acting as a reward instead of the usual TV, video games or snacks.

He told the website Skiinformatie.nl: 'There are short and long term effects, but two weeks skiing has a beneficial effect on a person's cognitive performance.'