The Effects of Physical Activity and Physical Fitness on Children's Achievement and Cognitive Outcomes

2011 ◽  
Vol 82 (3) ◽  
pp. 521-535 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alicia L. Fedewa ◽  
Soyeon Ahn
Children ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (8) ◽  
pp. 669
Author(s):  
Alina Drozdowska ◽  
Michael Falkenstein ◽  
Gernot Jendrusch ◽  
Petra Platen ◽  
Thomas Lücke ◽  
...  

This study investigated the relationship between different levels of physical fitness and cognitive functions in boys and girls. Schoolchildren from a comprehensive school in Germany (n = 211, 39% girls, 5th and 6th grade) attended regular or sport-focused classes with different numbers of physical education (PE) classes per week (3 vs. 5–6 h). Performance of physical fitness was tested according to endurance, strength, speed, coordination and flexibility. Four computerized instruments (switch task, 2-back task, Corsi block-tapping task and flanker task) were used to test cognitive functions. Additional predictors, sex, age, PE class, Body Mass Index and physical activity, were included in analyses. The results showed that physical fitness was associated with improved attention and memory functions in children, although the associations were mostly small. After Bonferroni correction, mainly coordination was related to improved cognition. Physical activity, i.e., step counts, PE class and sex were associated with specific cognitive outcomes. These findings may be important for effective health promotion, and supporting children’s education in the school environment. Sex-specific physical activities in school could potentially lead to greater cognitive benefits in children. Randomized trials are needed to replicate these results.


Author(s):  
Avery K. Ironside ◽  
Nicole M. Murray ◽  
Lila M. Hedayat ◽  
Claire C. Murchison ◽  
Caitlyn A. Kirkpatrick ◽  
...  

Physiotherapy ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marzena Ślężyńska ◽  
Grzegorz Mięsok ◽  
Kamila Mięsok

AbstractIntroduction: The aim of the physical activity of the intellectually disabled is the strengthening of health, creating movement habits, promoting active recreation, and maintaining exercise capacity. Skillfully applied physical activity allows to mitigate the effects of pathology and create the compensations to enable the intellectually disabled people to live relatively independently. Physical activity and sport also increase their chances to integrate with their families, peers, and social environment.Materials and methods: The research targeted a group of 134 people with moderate or considerable intellectual disability (65 women and 69 men), aged 20-53 years, who participated in occupational therapy workshops in Jastrzębie Zdrój, Rybnik, and Żory. Physical fitness was assessed using the “Eurofit Special” test and balance tests. Measurements of body height and mass were also taken and then used to calculate the body mass index (BMI).Results: A salient somatic trait was the greater body mass relative to height among the persons with considerable disability, clearly illustrated by the BMI. This explained their greater heaviness in performing physical exercises. An even greater difference between participants with moderate and considerable intellectual disability was visible in physical fitness. Obviously, older persons did not achieve as good results in fitness tests as the younger ones, yet the participants were more differentiated by the level of disability than age. Most symptomatic differences to the disadvantage of the considerably disabled were observed in explosive strength, speed, abdominal muscle strength, and flexibility.Conclusions: Significant differences in fitness between the compared groups make it necessary to take into account the level of intellectual disability in the course of physical education and sport, at work, and in household duties.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sheeba Nadarajah ◽  
Susan Buchholz ◽  
Kristen Dickins

BACKGROUND Globally, cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death. Cardiovascular mortality can be decreased by participation in cardiac rehabilitation. Researchers are exploring the use of mHealth technology in cardiac rehabilitation. OBJECTIVE The aim of this systematic review is to examine the effectiveness of randomized controlled trials that use a mHealth intervention as a part of an outpatient and/or home-based cardiac rehabilitation program on improving physical activity and physical fitness outcomes. METHODS For this systematic review, mHealth interventions were limited to text messaging, mobile apps, and use of a mobile phone network for data transmission, used to deliver cardiac rehabilitation program. Using six databases, the search strategy included published English language studies through 2016. Data was extracted independently by two reviewers, and then synthesized. RESULTS The initial search yielded 149 articles, of which 15 articles that represented nine studies met inclusion criteria. Articles were published from 2010 to 2016 and came from two continents. The majority (84%) of participants were male. Generally, the participant mean age was late 50s to early 60s. Text messaging was the most frequently used intervention. The results of the physical activity and physical fitness findings were mixed. Effect sizes for intervention as measured by the 6-minute walk test ranged from 0.46 to 0.58 and peak VO2 ranged from 0.03 to 1.35. CONCLUSIONS Globally, use of mHealth in outpatient and/or home-based cardiac rehabilitation is being studied with greater attention. However, these studies are limited by geography, gender, and age. Therefore, further research in the area of cardiac rehabilitation and mHealth is recommended, especially in developing countries, among women, and older adults.


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