Overweight Kids Who Exercise Improve Thinking, Math Skills

This is part of an article from Bloomberg Businessweek


One hundred seventy-one overweight children 7 to 11 years old, were randomly assigned to either 20 minutes or 40 minutes of vigorous exercise every day after school or to no exercise. The exercise program focused on fun and safety rather than competition and skill, and included running games, hula hoops and jump ropes. Researchers found it raised their heart rates to 79 percent of maximum, which is considered vigorous.

The researchers evaluated the children using standard achievement tests known as the Cognitive Assessment System and Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Achievement III. Some children also had magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans of their brains.

The MRIs found that children who exercised had increased activity in the so-called executive function area of the brain -- associated with self-control, planning, reasoning and abstract thought -- as well as the prefrontal cortex. The latter is the part of the brain linked with complex thinking and correct social behavior, the researchers noted.

There was also decreased activity in an area of the brain that's behind the prefrontal cortex. The shift seems to be tied to faster developing of cognitive skills, Davis said.

In addition, the more the kids exercised, the more the intelligence-test scores went up. An average increase of 3.8 points on scores in cognitive planning skills was noted in kids who exercised 40 minutes a day for three months, the researchers found. Children who exercised 20 minutes a day experienced smaller gains.

Complete article: http://www.businessweek.com/lifestyle/content/healthday/649818.html