Sport And Exercise Psychology Essay
International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology
Vol. 2, No. 2, September 2009, 198Á214
The impact of physical activity and fitness on academic achievement and cognitive performance in children
Thomas J.H. Keeley and Kenneth R. Fox*
Department of Exercise, Nutrition and Health Sciences, The University of Bristol, UK
(Received 9 March 2009; final version received 3 August 2009)
The potential for physical activity and fitness to improve cognitive function, learning and academic achievement in children has received attention by researchers and policy makers. This paper reports a systematic approach to identification, analysis and review of published studies up to early 2009. A threestep search method was adopted to identify studies …show more content…
The benefits of physical activity in the treatment of depression
(National Institute of Clinical Excellence, 2004) and improvement in select aspects of cognitive function in older adults are becoming increasingly well established
(Angevaren, Aufdemkampe, Verhaar, Aleman, & Vanhees, 2008). Furthermore, acute bouts of well managed physical exercise may facilitate certain aspects of information processing in adults (Tomporowski, 2003).
Some of these positive effects on mental health have also been shown in children and adolescents, although the evidence base is limited. Few studies have investigated the preventive or treatment effects of exercise on mental illness within this population, partly because incidence is low. However, reviews have indicated that exercise and/or sport involvement can have beneficial effects on psychological wellbeing. For example, exercise has been shown to improve physical self-perceptions and to a lesser extent self-esteem in children (Fox, 2001) although effects are …show more content…
Results are discussed in the context of the potential for this area of research and the kinds of research questions and designs that would be needed to take the field forwards.
Terms of reference
The following definitions are provided to maintain clarity and consistency through the remainder of the review.
International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology 201
Exposure/independent variables
Childhood physical activity is a complex mix of behaviours that take place in diverse social settings. Consideration could be given to categories such as break-time play, active travel, sport and physical education (both within and additional to the school curriculum), informal play and sports and dance clubs outside school. This review considers contexts as well as modes of activity which might include walking, running, cycling, swimming, vigorous sports, and dance. Furthermore, consideration is given to how each of these was quantified in terms of duration, frequency and level of intensity.
In contrast to physical activity, physical fitness is a complex set of functional capacities and capabilities. In children, these are partly determined by genetic
Vol. 2, No. 2, September 2009, 198Á214
The impact of physical activity and fitness on academic achievement and cognitive performance in children
Thomas J.H. Keeley and Kenneth R. Fox*
Department of Exercise, Nutrition and Health Sciences, The University of Bristol, UK
(Received 9 March 2009; final version received 3 August 2009)
The potential for physical activity and fitness to improve cognitive function, learning and academic achievement in children has received attention by researchers and policy makers. This paper reports a systematic approach to identification, analysis and review of published studies up to early 2009. A threestep search method was adopted to identify studies …show more content…
The benefits of physical activity in the treatment of depression
(National Institute of Clinical Excellence, 2004) and improvement in select aspects of cognitive function in older adults are becoming increasingly well established
(Angevaren, Aufdemkampe, Verhaar, Aleman, & Vanhees, 2008). Furthermore, acute bouts of well managed physical exercise may facilitate certain aspects of information processing in adults (Tomporowski, 2003).
Some of these positive effects on mental health have also been shown in children and adolescents, although the evidence base is limited. Few studies have investigated the preventive or treatment effects of exercise on mental illness within this population, partly because incidence is low. However, reviews have indicated that exercise and/or sport involvement can have beneficial effects on psychological wellbeing. For example, exercise has been shown to improve physical self-perceptions and to a lesser extent self-esteem in children (Fox, 2001) although effects are …show more content…
Results are discussed in the context of the potential for this area of research and the kinds of research questions and designs that would be needed to take the field forwards.
Terms of reference
The following definitions are provided to maintain clarity and consistency through the remainder of the review.
International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology 201
Exposure/independent variables
Childhood physical activity is a complex mix of behaviours that take place in diverse social settings. Consideration could be given to categories such as break-time play, active travel, sport and physical education (both within and additional to the school curriculum), informal play and sports and dance clubs outside school. This review considers contexts as well as modes of activity which might include walking, running, cycling, swimming, vigorous sports, and dance. Furthermore, consideration is given to how each of these was quantified in terms of duration, frequency and level of intensity.
In contrast to physical activity, physical fitness is a complex set of functional capacities and capabilities. In children, these are partly determined by genetic