Physical Activity, Cognition, and School Performance: From Neurons to Neighborhoods

Abstract

This chapter discusses the role of physical activity and cognition on school performance. Recently, the focus on physical activity benefits to brain and cognition has shifted from the study of adult cognition to that of children. Accordingly, researchers and practitioners have become interested in whether physical activity may serve to improve not only physical health conditions, but also cognitive health and function. Several interesting lines of research have developed which are aimed at understanding basic and applied benefits of physical activity to cognitive and brain health. The aim of such research is to improve health, enhance cognition, and provide benefits to effective functioning across the lifespan. Since 1975 when a seminal study was conducted by Spriduso comparing the cognitive performance of exercising versus non-exercising adults, researchers have been attempting to quantify the mind-body relationship in a meaningful way. This chapter describes the body of work to date on physical activity and cognitive health in school age children. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)