PE boosts brain power and makes kids happier

ChILDReN’S attention and memory improve after exercise, but only if it is not too ‘exhaustive’.

Pupils perform better in the classroom after a short activity break set at their own pace, say researchers.

The study, by the universities of Stirling and edinburgh, comes as increasing numbers of schools are taking part in walking or running breaks during the day.

More than 11,000 pupils across the UK took part in a study to discover the impact on their mood and cognitive abilities of taking a short break from the classroom to complete a physical activity.

They were asked to answer questions about how happy and awake they were feeling, before completing attention and memory tasks.

Children carried out the tasks both before and after they participated in each of three outdoor activities of varying intensity.

One was sitting or standing outside, another was running or walking at a speed of their own choice for 15 minutes and the other was a ‘bleep test’ – running in time with bleeps that got faster until they felt close to exhaustion.

Dr Colin Moran, of Stirling University’s faculty of health sciences and sport, said: ‘Anecdotal evidence suggests that short breaks involving physical activity can boost concentration and happiness in pupils.

‘The evidence is not conclusive and this is what we asked the children to help investigate.

‘Ultimately, we found that 15 minutes of self-paced exercise can significantly improve a child’s mood, attention and memory, enhancing their ability to learn.’

Dr Moran added: ‘Overall, our study concluded that exercising leads to improvements in children’s mood and cognition.

‘In most tasks, a run/walk activity was more beneficial than doing the bleep test, where children should be closer to exhaustion.’

The researchers found that the children reported feeling more awake after taking a break and doing any sort of exercise than they did just standing or sitting outside. however, they felt most awake after the run or walk.

The children also said they felt better after doing the run or walk but reported no difference in the way they felt after completing the bleep test, compared to simply sitting or standing outside.

Following the run or walk, children’s ability to remember words in sentences improved, while there was no difference between the bleep test and standing or sitting outside.

The study is part of the BBC Learning’s Terrific Scientific campaign – designed to inspire schoolchildren to pursue a career in science – and part-funded by edinburgh University and the Physiological Society.

More than 1,000 Scottish schools are already signed up for the Daily Mile, in which children are taken outside to run, walk or jog around a mile a day for 15 minutes in school uniform during class time.

The initiative was set up to improve pupils’ fitness levels but has also been found to improve children’s focus in the classroom as well as their behaviour, energy levels and general well-being.

Dr Josie Booth of edinburgh University’s Moray house School of education said: ‘This suggests children should be encouraged to exercise at their own pace during short breaks from class.

‘This may help children be more ready to learn when they return to the classroom.’

Dr Booth added: ‘Importantly, this exercise should be in addition to normal physical education and also at a time when the class teacher thinks the class would benefit the most from a break.’

A Scottish Government spokesman said: ‘The Scottish Government is doing many things to encourage people to be more active – regardless of age, gender, or economic circumstance.

‘We are committed to Scotland becoming the first Daily Mile nation.’

‘Enhancing their ability to learn’