“WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF EXERCISE?” EXAMINING THE EFFECTS OF ACUTE EXERCISE ON COGNITIVE FUNCTIONING IN SCHOOL-AGE CHILDREN AND YOUTH.
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Date
2020
Authors
Stigter, A. Annemarie
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Volume Title
Publisher
Mount Saint Vincent University
Abstract
The present study examined the benefits of exercising and the direct effects of acute exercising on students’ cognitive functioning in the classroom. The researcher was interested to find out if short bouts of exercise have a positive effect on concentration and cognitive performance in the classroom. Furthermore, the researcher was interested to find out if acute exercise results in an increase of learning. It is important to understand the benefits of physical exercise especially for students who are easily distracted or students who experience challenges with learning and academic performance. The study aimed to answer three questions: (1) Do students perform better on a cognitive test after a period of acute exercising? (2) Does acute exercise increase attention, memory, response time and processing speed? (3) Are students more motivated and engaged in the classroom after having exercised? First, it was hypothesized that exercising increases cognitive functioning. Second, it was predicted that acute exercise contributes positively to memory, attention, processing speed and response time. Last, it was hypothesized that student’s level of motivation and engagement increases while participating in class instruction following an exercise class. Support was found that exercising increases cognitive functioning and specifically short bouts of vigorous exercise increase attention, memory, response time, and processing speed. Support was also found for increased motivation and engagement after exercising. A series of statistical analysis were conducted to test the research questions. Study contributions as well as limitations are discussed and included in this study.
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Keywords
Exercise, cognitive functioning, academic performance, engagement