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Physical Exercise During the Morning School‐Break Improves Basic Cognitive Functions
Author(s) -
Tilp Markus,
Scharf Carina,
Payer Gerald,
Presker Maximilian,
Fink Andreas
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
mind, brain, and education
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.624
H-Index - 35
eISSN - 1751-228X
pISSN - 1751-2271
DOI - 10.1111/mbe.12228
Subject(s) - neurocognitive , cognition , morning , psychology , competence (human resources) , fluency , intervention (counseling) , physical activity , motor skill , developmental psychology , physical therapy , medicine , mathematics education , social psychology , psychiatry
Physical activity has not only been associated with increased physical and mental health, but also with beneficial effects on various cognitive and brain functions. This study investigated the effects of a motor and coordination oriented exercise intervention on academic achievements, attention/concentration ability, and on different facets of creative potential in a sample of school‐aged children between 11 and 14 years. The intervention was conducted during the morning school‐break over a time period of 4 weeks (5 units per week). The intervention was associated with beneficial effects on attention/concentration ability, basic arithmetic competence, and the fluency facet of creative potential. The finding that regular physical exercise during the morning break improves some basic academic and cognitive functions may motivate efforts to implement physical activity programs as promising and effective tools in the everyday school‐routine of the children to stimulate basic neurocognitive functions.