Researchers of a new study found that aerobic fitness can help boost the memory and learning abilities of 9 and 10 year old children.
Health experts have always recommended staying fit and exercising, irrespective of a person's age. Now, a new study finds that exercising not only improves physical health but also mental health. A team of researchers from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign found that aerobic and physical fitness can boost a child's memory and learning abilities, especially while learning a new and challenging task.
For the study, a group of 48 children aged 9 and 10 were asked to remember names and locations on a fictitious map. While some of them memorized these names by only studying the information on the map, others were tested on the matter they studied in order to help them memorize the information.
Researchers then tested the aerobic fitness of each child and found that half the children in their age group made it to the top 30 percent fit participants while the other half scored in the lowest 30 percent. When asked to recollect the information studied, children who were fitter performed better than those who were not as fit. The findings were similar when the initial learning was performed by studying alone than when testing and study were interspersed.
Previous studies have found that testing a child on the information he studies helps him better recall that information later. However, according to the researchers of this study, fitness levels may influence learning differently when the study method used is more challenging, and that higher levels of aerobic fitness can benefit learning and memory in school-age children.
"Future research should focus on the manner in which these factors impact the neural processes of children during learning," they said in a press statement.
"Reducing or eliminating physical education in schools, as is often done in tight financial times, may not be the best way to ensure educational success among our young people."
