Four years ago, in the Summer 2003 edition of ‘Well’, I featured one of the most important and the most under-reported and ignored pieces of research in modern education. In this study the measured fitness of nearly a million California children in grades 5, 7 and 9 was correlated with their performance in standardized academic tests. As you can see from the bar graphs below there was a perfect correlation between fitness and performance in math and reading.

State Study Proves Physically Fit Kids Perform Better Academically
California Department of Education Contacts: Nicole Winger and Mary Lou Thomas

Recently, a yet-to-be-published study by Charles Hillman on 259 Illinois 3rd and 5th graders found a similar pattern. So there is a growing body of evidence to support the old Latin saying of “Mens sana in corpore sano” (A healthy mind in a healthy body). Now armed with brain-scanning tools, neuroscientists are beginning to be able to say why a brain functions better in an active body.

1. Muscular activity leads to the release of IGF-1, which crosses the blood/brain barrier and triggers the release of BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor). BDNF is a key factor in the storage and recall of information.
   
   

2. In a recent paper by Small and Gage, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, it was shown that neurogenesis (the creation of new nerve tissue) was induced by physical activity in animal studies.
   
   
3. Small and Gage’s work showed neurogenesis in the hippocampus of the brain, an area associated with memory and mood, but studies by Dr. A Kramer of Illinois also saw development in other areas of the brain. Dr. Kramer’s work, published in the Journal of Gerontology: Medical Sciences, is intriguing. He took 59 sedentary volunteers, with ages ranging from 60 – 79 years and divided them into 2 groups. Half the sample did gentle stretching exercises, while the other half did brisk aerobic exercise, mostly walking. Pre- and post-MRI scans were performed on all participants. After 6 months, the aerobic exercise group showed significant increases in brain volume, while the control group did not. The greatest gains showed in the prefrontal and temporal cortices, the areas of the brain responsible for memory and information processing that are areas particularly sensitive to age related deterioration.
   
   Dr. Kramer’s work reminds us that, “It’s never too late.”
   
   
4. There is now a growing body of research that shows a relationship between mental and physical fitness and that correlates lack of physical fitness and brain tissue loss in older adults.
   
   

5. The plasticity of developing brain matter in children enhances the neurotrophic benefits of exercise.
   
   
6. Exercise tends to increase blood flow to the brain and increases temperature, both of which assist cortical and subcortical functioning.
   
   
7. It is now widely recognized that physical activity is probably more effective than anti-depressant medication for many people. Physical activity leads to the sustained release of dopamine, serotonin and norepinephrine, all of which can help stabilize and elevate feelings of relaxation and well-being. (Many anti-depressants are SSRIs [Selective Serotonin Re-uptake Inhibitors], designed to extend the duration of serotonin in nerve synapses.)
   
   
8. I would be remiss in not mentioning the “exercise high” associated with brisk aerobic activity. It is believed that miracle motes known as endorphins flood the brainpan producing a feeling of well-being. This has been called into question by some scientists due to the difficulty of endorphins crossing the blood brain barrier. But whether it’s due to endorphins, serotonin, dopamine or norepinephrine there’s no doubt that vigorous exercise makes you feel good.
   
   
9. In summary, I’ll quote the words of Dr. Daniel Galper from the University of Texas SW Medical Centre in Dallas, “We know that exercise is good for the brain. Brain imaging studies show that exercise boosts activity in the brain’s frontal lobes and the hippocampus. But those effects are complex and it’s sometimes hard to identify the physiological processes.”

These are little more than ‘Cole’s Notes’ of the impact of physical exercise on the functioning of the brain, but it is interesting that scientists working in the area have a tendency to start elevating their personal activity levels. Any school administrator who claims that academic pressures leave no room for physical activity will have to re-think their position. As academic pressures increase it becomes ever more important that students increase their activity levels so their brains can be closer to an optimal level of functioning.

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