Physical Exercise Helps Children Overweight Think Better

Regular physical exercise increases the ability of overweight children to think, plan and even be good at math, according to a report by University of Georgia Health Sciences researchers.

They hoped the discovery of 171 overweight children aged 7 to 11 who just sat around when the study began, provided the teachers with the evidence needed to ensure that vigorous physical activity was part of each school day, Dr. Catherine Davis, a health clinical psychologist at GHSU's Georgia Prevention Institute and research associate at the Health Psychology study.

"I hope this discovery will help restore the importance of physical activity in schools to help children stay physically and mentally smart," Davis said. "Children need to be active to reach their potential." As quoted from ScienceDaily (11/02/11).

To measure cognition, the researchers used the Cognitive Assessment System and Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Achievement III, which measures abilities such as planning and academic skills such as mathematics and reading. Some of these children receive functional magnetic resonance imaging that displays areas that increase or decrease from brain activity.

Magnetic resonance imaging (PRM) shows that those who do exercise experience increased brain activity in the prefrontal cortex which is a region that is connected with complex thinking, makes correct decisions and social behavior, and decreases activity in the brain region behind it. Future changes appear to be consistent with the more rapid development of cognitive skills, Davis said.

The more they do the exercises, the better the results. Intelligence test results increased 3.8 points for those who did 40 minutes of exercise every day after school for three months and less benefits for those who did 20 minutes of exercise every day.

Activities in their part of the brain for executive function also increased in children who did the exercises. "You just don't know what impact will arise when you increase children's ability to control their attention, to behave well in school, to make better choices," Davis noted. "Maybe they tend to stay in school and won't get into trouble."

The same increase is seen in mathematical expertise; interestingly, there is no improvement found in reading skills. The researchers noticed that the achievement of mathematical enhancements was extraordinary because no mathematics lessons were given and concluded that longer interventions could produce better results.

Children in an active playing program with running games, hula hoops and jump rope, increase heart rate to 79 percent of the maximum, which is considered full of energy.

Cognitive enhancement tends to emerge from brain stimulation that comes from movement rather than from cardiovascular enhancements, such as increased blood supply and oxygen, Davis said. "You can't move your body without the brain."

The researchers hypothesized that physical activity is so eager to support the development of brain systems that underlie cognition and behavior. Animal studies show that aerobic activity increases growth factors so that the brain gets more blood vessels, more neurons and more connections between neurons. Studies in older adults show that physical exercise benefits the brain and research conducted by Davis extends that science to children and their learning abilities at school.