The Impact of Physical Activity on Cognitive Development

Abstract

There is increasing evidence which suggests that physical activity is positively associated with cognitive development, and in turn, may result in higher academic achievement. However, most children are failing to engage in daily amounts of recommended physical activity. Schools have the ability to substantially increase the amount of exercise opportunities available for over fifty-six million students, but are counteracting this ability by limiting time allocated to physical education classes, recess, and other physically active breaks. Physically active academic lessons promote incorporation of physical activity into educational learning, and seem to be an efficient alternative to this crisis. These lessons are a practical approach to increase the amount of physical activity opportunities schools provide to their students, while simultaneously preserving valuable time for academic learning.