Exercise and Education
Benefits of Exercise on Learning
Memory
Exercise has been shown to improve our memory and therefore also our ability to learn.
Attention
A healthy body and mind allow us to focus our attention better.
Motivation
Overall, exercise improves our brain and how we feel, leading to a better performance in the way we will learn. We perform our best when we feel our best.
How does exercising help me learn?
What Kind of exercises should I do to optimize learning?
“ An exercise session consisting of a 5-min warm-up, 20 min of moderate-intensity exercise, and a 5-min cooldown improves cognition”
(Ludyga et al., 2020)
Cognition throughout life
If we do not regularly exercise in our lifetime, our memory and learning will decline with age. Just like working your heart out through cardio exercises to maintain its health, we must do this with our brain. With age, like most of our body, the brain will start to decline. By exercising more and allowing for our brains to expand in learning throughout our life, we can not only benefit our health, but perform to our best ability. This has specifically been connected to aerobic exercise, which would be something like cardio exercises. Studies show that by regularly exercising, we can greatly decrease our chance of getting conditions such as dementia or Alzheimer’s. These diseases are ones that directly impact memory and learning abilities.
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(Doyle et al., 2014)
Works Cited
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Ahmadi Asl, S., Shahidi, S., & Sarihi, A. (n.d.). Effect of Exercise on Learning, Memory and Levels of Epinephrine in Rats' Hippocampus. ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global. (2295630507).
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Doyle, B., & Zimmer, M. (2014). The effect of exercising intensity on learning and memory in humans (LB828). The FASEB Journal, 28(1_supplement). doi: 10.1096/fasebj.28.1_supplement.lb828
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Geertsen, S. S., Thomas, R., Larsen, M. N., Dahn, I. M., Andersen, J. N., Krause-Jensen, M., & Nielsen, J. B. (2016). Motor skills and exercise capacity are associated with objective measures of cognitive functions and academic performance in preadolescent children. PloS One, 11(8), e0161960. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0161960
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Hillman, C. H., Pontifex, M. B., Raine, L. B., Castelli, D. M., Hall, E. E., & Kramer, A. F. (2016). The effect of acute treadmill walking on cognitive control and academic achievement in preadolescent children. Neuroscience, 159, 104-114. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2016.01.013
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Ludyga, S., Gerber, M., & Herrmann, C. (2020). Effects of a single exercise workout on memory and learning functions in young adults—A systematic review. Translational Sports Medicine, 3(3), 195-212. doi: 10.1002/tsm2.190
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Lambert, K., Ribeiro, L., McNeil, J., & Christodoulou, G. (2022). The association between physical education and academic achievement in other curriculum learning areas: A review of literature. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance, 93(2), 51-58. doi: 10.1080/17408989.2022.2029385
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Marques, A. H., Teixeira, D. S., de Araújo, J. E., Nascimento, J. B., & Tuchsherer, R. (2022). Exercise and the Brain: How Fitness Impacts Learning. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance, 93(2), 20-28. doi: 10.1080/17408989.2022.2029385
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Roig, M., Nordbrandt, S., Geertsen, S. S., & Nielsen, J. B. (2013). The effects of cardiovascular exercise on human memory: A review with meta-analysis. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 37(8), 1645-1666. doi: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2013.06.012
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Singh, A., Uijtdewilligen, L., Twisk, J. W. R., van Mechelen, W., & Chinapaw, M. J. M. (2012). Physical activity and performance at school: A systematic review of the literature including a methodological quality assessment. Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, 166(1), 49-55. doi: 10.1001/archpediatrics.2011.716
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Ratey, J. J. (2008). Spark: The revolutionary new science of exercise and the brain. Little, Brown and Company.