So how does physical activity affect the brain?
· Results in more grey matter, which is involved in information processing in the brain
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· Improved integrity of white brain matter, which supports executive function
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· More connections and stronger connections between neurons
· These changes result in improvements in attention, memory and executive function
(Marques, Santos, Hillman, & Sardinha, 2018)
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What does this mean in relation to academics?
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In essence, physical activity can improve a student's memory, attention span and ability to focus on a goal.
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Physical activity and Academics
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Physical activity and cardiovascular fitness have a diverse array of benefits to children and adolescent health. It has been shown by studies in neuroscience that physical activity changes brain structure and function. The body of evidence that show a correlation between physical fitness and academic achievement in children and adolescents is on the rise. (Marques, et. al, 2018)
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In 2010, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and reached the conclusion that physical activity and physical education improved cognition which included emotional behavior and concentration.( Benzold et. al, 2014)
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A longitudinal study done on Australian teens to measure their academic performance to determine if whether or not an association with physical activity was non-linear or not. In the study, the scientists had the students wear accelerator meter for seven days consecutively. Boys who were more physically active had better educational outcomes and girls showed improvement in academic performance. (Owen, Parker, Burt, & Lonsdale, 2014)
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Obesity and Academics
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Research shows that excess body fat in school age children was linked to an increased risk of poor academic performance . (Sævarsson et al., 2019)
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