Smart moves: Powering up the brain with physical activity

Active play and regular physical activity have a positive effect on student achievement, cognitive skills, and classroom behavior, according to a variety of studies. How does this knowledge square with expectations in the Common Core State Standards that educators will emphasize higher-order thinking and problem solving? Achieving these standards will create greater cognitive demands on students at all levels. Can we achieve that and still give children opportunities for play and physical activity at school?

Neuroscience research suggests that we can because exercise powers up brain areas associated with executive functions that support higher-order thinking and with learning and memory. In tandem, these lines of inquiry suggest how school schedules and lessons can be structured to optimize the effect of physical activity on students’ brain power.

Learning is not just a cognitive function. We use the term body-brain system to convey how the interactions of thinking, feeling, and physicality can enhance the development of new knowledge and skills (Wilson & Conyers, 2013a). A 2010 report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention summarizing 50 studies involving physical education, active play during recess, physical activity breaks in the classroom, and after-school sports and other activities found positive associations with academic performance. At the same time, this meta-analysis found no negative consequences for making physical activity a regular part of the school day, which should alleviate concerns that taking time away from core subjects for “play” might decrease grades and test scores.