Download or read book Investigation of the Effects of Physical Activity on Executive Function in the Early Childhood Setting written by Jeanne Marita Barcelona and published by . This book was released on 2017 with total page 314 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Health is essential for children’s cognitive and physical development, yet often is undermined in school environments. Research indicates the use of physical activity within the school environment as a protective factor, ultimately diminishing obesity and augmenting student health outcomes (Sallis et al., 1993; Sallis et al., 1999). Further, research evidence such as that physical activity (PA) is a facilitator of executive functioning among children (Davis et al., 2011; Diamond & Lee, 2011). The purpose of this dissertation was to elucidate the role of PA on executive function in early childhood. A sample of 210 children and 23 teachers participated in this series of three studies. In study one, children completed a psychosocial survey and engaged in a short duration, acute bout of PA. Teacher participants completed a survey investigating their perceptions of the classroom environment. Analyses revealed that student perceptions of enjoyment while participating in PA are significantly related to time spent in moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA), and that teacher perceptions of classroom environment are a significant predictor; inversely associated with student time spent in MVPA. The second study, utilized a repeated measures research design to investigate the effect of PA on executive function and found that type of PA significantly contributed to cognitive performance. Participants who danced for approximately five minutes had increased accuracy and faster response time over participants engaged in aerobic or yoga activities. The attentional performance also significantly increased for dance participants as compared to those involved in aerobic and yoga. In study three, path analyses explored main and mediating effects of PA on psychosocial, environmental and cognitive variables. Although all PA did not significantly mediate EF, there were significant main effects for both dance and aerobic PA on cognition in early childhood. As a means of preventing disease and enhancing cognitive health, short bouts of PA hold value in the pre-school classroom as they enhance executive functioning, which subserves learning. Findings from these three studies are of public health interest as we find that classroom PA engagement is a critical factor to the health and academic success of the whole child.

Download or read book Educating the Student Body written by Committee on Physical Activity and Physical Education in the School Environment and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2013-11-13 with total page 503 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Physical inactivity is a key determinant of health across the lifespan. A lack of activity increases the risk of heart disease, colon and breast cancer, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, osteoporosis, anxiety and depression and others diseases. Emerging literature has suggested that in terms of mortality, the global population health burden of physical inactivity approaches that of cigarette smoking. The prevalence and substantial disease risk associated with physical inactivity has been described as a pandemic. The prevalence, health impact, and evidence of changeability all have resulted in calls for action to increase physical activity across the lifespan. In response to the need to find ways to make physical activity a health priority for youth, the Institute of Medicine's Committee on Physical Activity and Physical Education in the School Environment was formed. Its purpose was to review the current status of physical activity and physical education in the school environment, including before, during, and after school, and examine the influences of physical activity and physical education on the short and long term physical, cognitive and brain, and psychosocial health and development of children and adolescents. Educating the Student Body makes recommendations about approaches for strengthening and improving programs and policies for physical activity and physical education in the school environment. This report lays out a set of guiding principles to guide its work on these tasks. These included: recognizing the benefits of instilling life-long physical activity habits in children; the value of using systems thinking in improving physical activity and physical education in the school environment; the recognition of current disparities in opportunities and the need to achieve equity in physical activity and physical education; the importance of considering all types of school environments; the need to take into consideration the diversity of students as recommendations are developed. This report will be of interest to local and national policymakers, school officials, teachers, and the education community, researchers, professional organizations, and parents interested in physical activity, physical education, and health for school-aged children and adolescents.

Download or read book Exercise and Cognitive Function written by Terry McMorris and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2009-04-01 with total page 386 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This textbook focuses on the relationship between physical exercise and cognition, a very timely and important topic with major theoretical and practical implications for a number of areas including ageing, neurorehabilitation, depression and dementia. It brings together a wide range of analytical approaches and experimental results to provide a very useful overview and synthesis of this growing field of study. The book is divided into three parts: Part I covers the conceptual, theoretical and methodological underpinnings and issues. Part II focuses on advances in exercise and cognition research, with appropriate sub-sections on ‘acute’ and ‘chronic’ exercise and cognition. Part III presents an overview of the area and makes suggestions for the direction of future research. This text provides a cutting-edge examination of this increasingly important area written by leading experts from around the world. The book will prove invaluable to researchers and practitioners in a number of fields, including exercise science, cognitive science, neuroscience and clinical medicine. Key Features: Unique in-depth investigation of the relationship between physical exercise and brain function. Covers theoretical approaches and experimental results and includes chapters on the latest developments in research design. Examines the effects of both acute and chronic exercise on brain function. International list of contributors, who are leading researchers in their field.

Download or read book Physical Activity and Sport During the First Ten Years of Life written by Richard Bailey and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2021-04-12 with total page 267 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Evidence suggests that the first 10 or so years of life create the foundation for subsequent participation in recreational and health-related physical activity. This book brings together researchers and practitioners with expertise in issues related to physical activity, physical education, and sport during the primary/elementary phase of schooling, to explore these important issues. Combining inter-disciplinary perspectives, the book addresses the inherent complexity of researching with young children. It looks at the evidence on development during the first 10 years and how that evidence relates to physical activity and to sport, in pre-school, school and out of school. Finally, the book offers a series of national case studies, from Asia, Europe and Africa, demonstrating the importance of age-appropriate sport and physical activity. This is important reading for any student, researcher, educator or policy maker with an interest in physical activity and health, education in the early years or at primary/elementary level, paediatric exercise science, or youth sport.

Download or read book Physical Activity and Educational Achievement written by Romain Meeusen and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2017-08-07 with total page 378 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A growing body of research evidence suggests that physical activity can have a positive effect on educational achievement. This book examines a range of processes associated with physical activity that are of relevance to those working in education – including cognition, learning, memory, attention, mood, stress and mental health symptoms – and draws on the latest insights from exercise neuroscience to help explain the evidence. With contributions from leading scientists and educationalists from around the world, this book cuts through the myths to interrogate the relationship between physical activity and educational achievement in children, adolescents and young adults in a variety of cultural and geographical contexts. Examining both the benefits and risks associated with physical activity from the perspectives of exercise science and educational psychology, it also looks ahead to ask what the limits of this research might be and what effects it might have on the future practice of education. Physical Activity and Educational Achievement: Insights from Exercise Neuroscience is fascinating reading for any student, academic or practitioner with an interest in exercise science and education.

Download or read book Physical Activity and Learning After School written by Paula J. Schwanenflugel and published by Guilford Publications. This book was released on 2017-11-14 with total page 257 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Every school day, more than 10 million children attend after-school programs in the United States. This book provides a research-based blueprint for offering students in grades 1-5 innovative programming that combines intensive physical activity and social–emotional skills development with academic enrichment in reading, mathematics, and social studies. Presented is an integrative approach that has been developed and tested to meet the needs of all students, including those in high-poverty schools. The volume includes explicit guidance for setting up a program, implementing cognitively engaging physical games and learning activities, working effectively with mixed-age groups, and monitoring outcomes. Reproducible forms and lesson plans can be downloaded and printed in a convenient 8 1/2" x 11" size.

Download or read book Exercise Cognition Interaction written by Terry McMorris and published by Academic Press. This book was released on 2015-11-06 with total page 508 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Exercise-Cognition Interaction: Neuroscience Perspectives is the only book on the market that examines the neuroscientific correlation between exercise and cognitive functioning. The upsurge in research in recent years has confirmed that cognitive-psychology theory cannot account for the effects of exercise on cognition, and both acute and chronic exercise effect neurochemical and psychophysiological changes in the brain that, in turn, affect cognitive functioning. This book provides an overview of the research into these effects, from theoretical research through current studies that emphasize neuroscientific theories and rationales. It addition, users will find a thorough examination of the effects of exercise interventions on cognitive functioning in special populations, including the elderly, children, and those suffering from a variety of diseases, including schizophrenia, diabetes, and an array of neurological disorders. With contributions from leading researchers in the field, this book will be the go-to resource for neuroscientists, psychologists, medical professionals, and other researchers who need an understanding of the role exercise plays in cognitive functioning. Provides a comprehensive account of how exercise affects brain functioning, which in turn affects cognition Covers both theory and empirical research Presents a thorough examination of the effects of exercise interventions on cognitive functioning in special populations, including the elderly, children, and those suffering from a variety of diseases Examines neurochemical, psychophysiological, and genetic factors Covers acute and chronic exercise

Download or read book The Immediate Impact of Cognitively Engaging Physical Activity on Preschool Children s Executive Function written by Marcia L. Preston and published by . This book was released on 2020 with total page 147 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Executive function (EF) skills are important for a wide-range of outcomes, including academic achievement and socio-emotional development. These outcomes promote a call to action to better understand EF and the factors that may influence its development in young children. Previous research with adolescents and adults provides support for a connection between physical activity and improvements in EF (e.g. Best, 2010), though little is known about the impact of physical activity for preschool children. Utilizing a pre-test, intervention, post-test design, the current study examined the immediate impact of cognitively engaging physical activity on three components of preschool children's executive function skills. Based on previous research, this study hypothesized that a combination of physical activity and cognitive engagement (Best, 2010; Diamond, 2015) would result in the greatest improvements on preschool children's working memory, inhibition, and shifting ability compared to activities high in physical activity but low in cognitive engagement, activities low in physical activity but high in cognitive engagement, and activities low in both.

Download or read book Functional Neuroimaging in Exercise and Sport Sciences written by Henning Boecker and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2012-06-19 with total page 523 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Regular physical exercise is associated with substantial health benefits. Recent evidence not only holds for cardiovascular effects promoting "physical health", but also for the central nervous system believed to promote "brain health”. Moderate physical exercise has been found to improve learning, memory, and attentional processing, with recent research indicating that neuroprotective mechanisms and associated plasticity in brain structure and function also benefit. Physical exercise is also known to induce a range of acute or sustained psychophysiological effects, among these mood elevation, stress reduction, anxiolysis, and hypoalgesia. Today, modern functional neuroimaging techniques afford direct measurement of the acute and chronic relation of physical exercise on the human brain, as well as the correlation of the derived physiological in vivo signals with behavioral outcomes recorded during and after exercise. A wide range of imaging techniques have been applied to human exercise research, ranging from electroencephalography (EEG), magnetoencephalography (MEG), near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to positron emission tomography (PET). All of these imaging methods provide distinct information, and they differ considerably in terms of spatial and temporal resolution, availability, cost, and associated risks. However, from a “multimodal imaging” perspective, neuroimaging provides an unprecedented potential to unravel the neurobiology of human exercise, covering a wide spectrum ranging from structural plasticity in gray and white matter, network dynamics, global and regional perfusion, evoked neuronal responses to the quantification of neurotransmitter release. The aim of this book is to provide the current state of the human neuroimaging literature in the emerging field of the neurobiological exercise sciences and to outline future applications and directions of research.

Download or read book Physical Activity Enrichment A Joint Focus on Motor Competence Hot and Cool Executive Functions written by Caterina Pesce and published by Frontiers Media SA. This book was released on 2021-04-29 with total page 181 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Executive Function in Preschool age Children written by James Alan Griffin and published by American Psychological Association (APA). This book was released on 2016 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this book, top scientists from a variety of fields investigate the development of executive function (EF), a term that encompasses a range of mental processes that together regulate our social behavior and our cognitive and emotional well-being.

Download or read book Classroom Physical Activity Breaks Effect on Executive Function and Academic Achievement in Elementary School Students written by Mark Bjornsen and published by . This book was released on 2021 with total page 178 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Objectives: There were three aims in conducting this pilot study. First, determine the Plus Minus Task assessment's reliability to measure the executive function of shifting. Second, determine the feasibility and acceptability of CPAB by students and teachers. Finally, determine the preliminary dose-response of acute physical activity on shifting in elementary students. Methods: This was a pilot study of a classroom physical activity break intervention. Utilizing a withinsubject, cross-over design, students participated in a practice day and then all three treatment conditions: a 10-minute seated lesson (control condition) and 5 and 10 minutes (experimental conditions) of classroom physical activity breaks. A Latin Square Design was employed to randomize the treatment conditions by classroom. Students participated in two treatments each week over two weeks. Data was collected through parent/guardian pre-study questionnaires and pre and post-tests of the Plus Minus Task. All methods and procedures were approved by the University of Arkansas Internal Review Board. Letters with information regarding this study were sent home to parents/guardians alerting them to the opportunity to participate along with their child. Consent and assent forms were made available to both parents and students to review and consider participation. Students who returned signed parent consent and student assent forms were allowed to participate. Participating teachers also signed consent forms. Both teachers and students participated in a post-study questionnaire and focus group interviews. Results: To our knowledge, this was the first study to find that the Plus Minus Task was a reliable test measure for assessing shifting in children aged 10 to 12. We also discovered that students enjoyed CPAB, looked forward to school on days they had CPAB, and expressed that these breaks helped them feel more awake and alert for future learning. Teachers were supportive of incorporating physical activity breaks in the future but time and specific benefits associated with activity breaks were concerns regarding future implementation. Lastly, it was determined that neither 5 nor 10 minutes of classroom physical activity promoted a positive change in a student's shifting ability when compared to a 10-minute seated activity. Conclusions: This study found that students support CPAB and feel they are beneficial to their learning environment. We also determined that the Plus Minus Task was a reliable assessment tool to use with school-aged students to measure the executive function skill of shifting. Finally, while we did not find that acute physical activity positively affected students' shifting abilities, research should continue to investigate the impact classroom physical activity has on students' learning environment. CPAB provides students an enjoyable way to receive more physical activity during the school day while feeling more awake and on-task for future learning.

Download or read book Handbook of Psychology Health Psychology written by Irving B. Weiner and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2003 with total page 696 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Includes established theories and cutting-edge developments. Presents the work of an international group of experts. Presents the nature, origin, implications, an future course of major unresolved issues in the area.

Download or read book Enhancing Children s Cognition With Physical Activity Games written by Phillip D. Tomporowski and published by Human Kinetics. This book was released on 2015-01-30 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: There are plenty of books that help you use or create games that develop children’s physical skills, and it’s now widely accepted that physical activity can have a positive effect on academic achievement. But this is the first book that shows you how to tailor physical activity games specifically to enhance children’s cognitive abilities. Enhancing Children’s Cognition with Physical Activity Games, written by three authorities in teacher education, exercise physiology, and sport science, shows you how to apply current concepts in child development, cognitive science, physical education, and teacher training to create movement-based learning experiences that benefit children both physically and mentally. You will be guided in creating environments that lend themselves to cognitive development and enhanced academic achievement. And you will understand not only how to create games to foster cognitive development but why such games are so useful in developing the whole child. Enhancing Children’s Cognition with Physical Activity Games offers the following features: •Two chapters of sample games, one for preschoolers and kindergarteners, the other for elementary school children •Expert guidance in creating your own games for children ages 3 to 12, with an emphasis on developmental ranges of 3 to 7 and 7 to 12 •A practice-oriented model of teacher education that shows you how you can best develop and implement physical activity games that support both motor and cognitive development The book contains a running glossary to help teachers and students understand the terms used. It also discusses several models of 21st-century learning, highlighting the role that physical activity games play in a comprehensive education. Enhancing Children’s Cognition With Physical Activity Games is equally useful for teachers working with children in school, before school, or after school and for program directors working with children in community programs. The authors link their application to research, creating a practical reference for professionals in the field, whatever their setting. The book is presented in three parts. Part I grounds you in the research that shows how physical activity affects children’s mental development. You will learn how physical activity benefits children’s cognition and academics, how movement games help children think and learn, and how to create a motivational environment where children want to learn. Part II helps you translate research into practice. You will explore how movements create mental maps and affect mental health, how to engage children in playful learning, and how to incorporate physical activity into your teaching and enhance your teaching models. You will also consider how to assess children at play—how to collect data and know when your program is being effective—and how to apply physical activity games in both the home and the community. In part III, you are supplied with games for preschoolers, kindergartners, and elementary school children. You’ll find games that emphasize three principles: contextual interference, mental control, and discovery. Each chapter concludes with practical implications for teachers, helping you to put into context the information you have come across in that chapter. Enhancing Children’s Cognition with Physical Activity Games helps educators create, design, implement, and evaluate problem-solving games that foster children’s mental engagement and thoughtful decision making. Kids are highly motivated by problem-solving games, and the cognitive skills they develop in solving those problems can be translated to their academic success.

Download or read book Physical Activity Self Regulation and Executive Control Across the Lifespan written by Sean P. Mullen and published by Frontiers Media SA. This book was released on 2016-02-05 with total page 132 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: There is overwhelming evidence linking increased physical activity with positive changes in cognitive functioning and brain health. Much of what we know about these interrelationships comes from aerobic exercise training studies with older adults and children. This literature has paved the way for the neuroscientific investigation of mechanisms responsible for exercise-induced cognitive and brain health enhancement, a list that ranges from molecular changes to systemic changes in executive control and neural connectivity. A new perspective has also emerged that aims to understand executive control processes that may underlie the regulation of health behavior. In accordance with this view, physical activity falls under the umbrella of health behaviors that require a substantial amount of executive control. Executive control is a limited resource, and the aging process depletes this resource. People who regularly exercise are said to have higher “self-regulatory control”—planning, goal-shielding and impulse control—than irregular exercisers. The successful maintenance of physical activity participation in lieu of daily cognitive stressors likely reflects an adaptive resistance to control failures. Indeed, a handful of studies have shown the relationship between greater executive control and subsequently higher levels of physical activity. However, little is known about the neural correlates of physical activity adherence or sedentary behavior, with the view that neurocognitive factors have an antecedent and reciprocal influence on these behaviors. No research has focused on the brain networks responsible for the self-regulation of physical activity, which likely overlaps with structures and functions playing critical roles in the regulation of other health behaviors. Interdisciplinary investigations are needed to explain the extent to which physical activity self-regulation and self-regulatory failure is dependent upon, or under the influence of executive control processes and brain networks. Understanding the degree to which self-regulatory resources may be enhanced, restored, and trained will have enormous implications for basic science and applied fields. It is also of great import to understand whether or not physical activity self-regulation is a domain-specific behavior associated with specific brain networks, or to determine the extent to which regulatory network-sharing occurs. The aim of this Frontiers Research Topic is to curate contributions from researchers in social and cognitive neurosciences and related fields, whose work involves the study of physical activity behavior, self-regulation and executive control. For this Research Topic, we, therefore, solicit reviews, original research articles, and opinion papers, which draw theoretical or empirical connections related to sustained physical activity behavior, self-regulatory strategies, cognitive performance, and brain structure and function. While focusing on work in the neurosciences, this Research Topic also welcomes contributions in the form of behavioral studies, psychophysiological investigations, and methodological innovations. This Frontiers Research Topic will carve out new directions for the fields of exercise, cognitive, and social neurosciences. We hope you will consider submitting your work.

Download or read book Physical Activity and Student Learning written by Tara Stevens and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2019-06-13 with total page 121 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Discussions of physical activity in schools often focus on health-related outcomes, but there is also evidence for its integral role in academic achievement, cognition, and psychological adjustment. Written by a scientist-practitioner, Physical Activity and Student Learning explores the effects of physical activity within the broader context of educational psychology research and theory and brings the topic to a wider audience. With chapters on positive school behavior, executive function, and interventions, this concise volume is designed for any educational psychology or general education course that includes physical activity in the curriculum. This book establishes physical activity as an important part of all learning—not just physical education and recess—and will be indispensable for student researchers and both pre- and in-service teachers alike.

Download or read book Executive Function and Education written by Mariëtte Huizinga and published by Frontiers Media SA. This book was released on 2018-09-21 with total page 184 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Executive function is an umbrella term for various cognitive processes that are central to goal-directed behavior, thoughts, and emotions. These processes are especially important in novel or demanding situations, which require a rapid and flexible adjustment of behavior to the changing demands of the environment. The development of executive function relies on the maturation of associated brain regions as well as on stimulation in the child’s social contexts, especially the home and school. Over the past decade, the term executive function has become a buzzword in the field of education as both researchers and educators underscore the importance of skills like goal setting, planning, and organizing in academic success. Accordingly, in initiating this Research Topic and eBook our goal was to provide a forum for state-of-the-art theoretical and empirical work on this that both facilitates communication among researchers from diverse fields and provides a theoretically sound source of information for educators. The contributors to this volume, who hail from several different countries in Europe and North America, have certainly accomplished this goal in their nuanced and cutting-edge depictions of the complex links among various executive function components and educational success.