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When it comes to proving the benefits of exercise to brain health, medical tests have done a pretty good job for adults. In Alzheimer’s patients, exercise is an important part of health care management. Researchers are now questioning whether it has the same benefits for children.
Researchers at the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana Campus, are studying the effects of exercise on the brains of children ages nine and ten. They are currently focused on immediate benefits.
To conduct the study, they had a group of children with similar variables participate in a treadmill fitness test. The children with the highest and lowest scores were sorted into two groups to create the greatest contrast, while those with median scores were dropped from the study.
The remaining children were tested on a group of cognitive exercises Later they were given an MRI to measure specific areas of the brain. As the children with higher fitness scores did better on the tests. The MRI revealed they had bigger basal ganglia, an important part of the brain for attention span and bringing together action with thought.
In a separate study with a new group of children, participants were tested for complex memory. The new study revealed that the children in the higher fitness groups had larger hippocampi, brain parts which interact with the basal ganglia to allow complex thinking.
If exercise causes health benefits for just two parts of the brain, fitness programs should be included in elementary school education, both in the classroom and at home. Many schools ask parents to read with their children each day. Perhaps they should be encouraging after-school sports programs and other physical activity too.
Even if the school does not provide a fitness program, parents should. Think of it as a form of health insurance for your children. Communities could encourage physical activity by providing recreation programs at lower cost. Make it a requirement for the free school lunch program and the kids win with fitness as well as nutrition!
