Exercise activates every part of the human body, and in the same way, exercise also increases human memory and thinking skills. In a new study, scientists have revealed that physical activity is not only beneficial for adults but also for children. 

Physical activity, or exercise, improves children's intelligence as well as their academic performance, according to a study published by the University of Granada in Spain.

Research features

Research has shown that children who are physically fit have larger volumes of the frontal, temporal, and kallikrein cortex, the parts of the brain responsible for all 'executive functions.'

Additionally, these parts of the brain also play an important role in children's learning, developing motor skills, and enhancing visual perception. Motor skills refer to the abilities of children that improve the ability of the brain, nervous system, and muscles to work together.

Goals

The aim of the research was to find out how the mental abilities of physically fit and agile children work differently compared to their peers who are less physically agile and how this affects their academic performance.

In this regard, Francisco B. Ortega, lead researcher at the University of Granada's Institute of Sports and Health, says, "The answer to this question is short and powerful: yes, physical fitness and then the characteristic of fatness are directly linked in many ways to important brain areas in children, which can be reflected in their academic performance."

The study, published in the journal NeuroImage, is part of the Active Brains Project. The study involved clinical trials on more than 100 overweight and obese children aged 8 to 11. 

The study found that children's motor skills play an important role in developing two parts of their brains, which are associated with language learning and reading fluently. However, the researchers found no evidence of a link between muscle strength and brain skills at any stage throughout the study.

The lead author of the study, Irene Esteban Cornejo, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Granada, says there is clear evidence that physical fitness and agility enhance cognitive abilities in the outer (cortical) and subcortical (subcortical) parts of children's brains.

Dr. Cornejo has stated another important point in his research as follows: "Physical fitness is a characteristic that can be increased through physical exercise. If physical exercise is combined with exercises that increase children's aerobic capacity and motor skills, it can not only accelerate the pace of improving children's mental abilities but also improve their academic performance."

The problem of weight gain in children

The number of overweight and obese children is increasing worldwide. In 1990, the number of such children was 32 million, which had increased to 41 million by 2016. Compared to developed countries, the problem of obesity among children is more serious in developing countries, where the number of such children is increasing more rapidly.

According to experts, this is because the pace at which people's incomes are increasing in developing countries is changing families' lifestyles and eating habits. 

Researchers from the University of Granada have urged policymakers and educators to implement the findings of this research in their educational institutions and make physical education a mandatory part of the curriculum.

What should parents do?

The research has stated that parents play a more important role in improving the physical fitness of children than educational institutions, because many habits have become part of the personality and habits of children before they enter school, in which the process of training parents is involved. For example, what kind of environment did parents provide for their children to adopt physical activities? 

Some parents seem to insist that their children be careful at all times for fear of falling and getting hurt, which not only makes those children fragile but also affects their physical fitness. Furthermore, parents are the ones who instill healthy food choices and eating habits in their children.

Often parents give up on their children because their children will not eat anything healthy except junk food. This attitude of parents further encourages this behavior in children, whereby they tend to eat more junk food and avoid healthy foods.