A recent study by researchers at Waseda University offers promising insights into the effects of light intensity exercise on children’s brain function. The study, published in Scientific reportsfound that even short bursts of simple exercise can increase blood flow to the frontal cortex, the part of the brain responsible for important cognitive functions such as decision-making, memory and attention. This finding could pave the way for easy-to-implement exercises that improve brain function, especially in children, who often lead sedentary lifestyles.
Physical activity is known to enhance cognitive function, but most existing research has focused on moderately vigorous forms of exercise such as running or sports. These types of exercise are known to improve brain function by increasing blood flow and stimulating the growth of new neurons. However, many children around the world do not engage in enough physical activity, and sedentary behavior is on the rise. In fact, 81% of children worldwide do not meet recommended levels of physical activity, which raises concerns about their brain development and cognitive function.
Study author Takashi Naito, a doctoral student at Waseda University and visiting researcher at Waseda’s Institute of Human Performance, said: “Sedentary lifestyles and physical activity are common among children around the world.” “We aim to create an exercise program that can easily be done at home or in between school classes to help children prevent disruptive behavior and positively impact their brains. Even Light intensity physical activity has health benefits As a first step, we examined the effects of light intensity exercise on cerebral blood flow.
The study included 41 healthy children, ranging from fifth grade to high school students in Japan. The researchers introduced the children to seven different types of light intensity exercises. These exercises were chosen because they can be performed easily without special equipment and require minimal movement of the head and body, which helped reduce noise in brain activity measurements.
The exercises included movements such as:
- Stretching (reaching up with closed arms)
- Shoulder length (one arm stretched across the chest)
- Elbow circles (extensively moving the elbow)
- Trunk twists (upper body twists)
- Hand washing (hand washing)
- Thumb and pinky (finger dexterity exercise)
- Single leg balance (standing on one leg for balance)
Most of these exercises are performed while sitting, except for balance exercises. The children performed each exercise for 10 or 20 seconds, and the researchers measured their brain activity during the exercise using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). This technology tracks changes in blood flow by measuring the concentration of oxygenated hemoglobin in the frontal cortex.
The study revealed that all types of exercise, except for some static stressors, significantly increased blood flow to the prefrontal cortex compared to rest. This increase in blood flow is a sign of increased brain activity, particularly in areas associated with executive functions such as working memory, attention, and decision making.
“I was surprised to see that 10 to 20 seconds of hand washing and finger movements increased blood flow to a certain extent in the prefrontal cortex,” Naito said. PsyPost. “Because the hands have a strong connection with the brain, I expected that the blood flow of the brain would increase slightly; however, the results were better than expected.
Interestingly, exercises that involve a lot of movement or a high cognitive load, such as trunk bending or balancing on one leg, led to the greatest increase in brain activity. For example, exercises such as knee circles, which require a wide range of motion, and single-leg balance, which require concentration to maintain balance, have shown significant increases in blood flow in several areas of the frontal cortex. .
“Balancing on one leg is a simple exercise,” Naito said. “Still, I was surprised that it increased blood flow to the prefrontal cortex to such an extent.”
In contrast, simple static exercises, such as shoulder stretches, showed minimal changes in brain activity. This suggests that the more exercise required, either physically or mentally, the more it stimulates the brain.
Additionally, the researchers found no significant difference in increased brain activity between exercises performed for 20 seconds compared to exercises performed for 10 seconds. This suggests that even very short bursts of light-intensity exercise are sufficient to improve brain function.
The findings provide evidence that “even short-term, light-intensity exercise can produce changes in the body that may improve physical and mental health compared to staying in the same position for long periods of time,” Naito explained. “Even if you’re working, studying, or watching TV at your desk, move your body a little.”
While the results are promising, the study has some limitations. First, the age range of participants was relatively narrow, with a focus on children between 10 and 15 years of age. More research is needed to see if similar results will be seen in young children, adults, or the elderly. In addition, the study did not account for factors such as the children’s individual physical fitness, daily activity level, or body mass index, all of which could affect the results.
Another limitation is that while previous studies have measured an increase in blood flow to the frontal cortex, it has not directly tested whether increased blood flow translates into improved cognitive performance.
“This study showed that short-term, light-intensity exercise increases cerebral blood flow in the frontal cortex, without prolonging movement.” Naito said. “However, further research is needed to determine whether this leads to improved cognitive performance; we are currently conducting this validation.”
Researchers are optimistic that light intensity exercises can be part of the school’s daily routine, helping to combat the negative effects of disruptive behavior while promoting cognitive development.
“Based on the findings of this study, we are now developing a program of light-intensity exercise for a few minutes and examining whether it has a positive effect not only on cerebral blood flow, but also on the cognitive functions of children,” Naito explained. do “We plan to develop our research so that more schools can implement this program, which anyone can easily do, to prevent antisocial behavior in children and improve cognitive functions. We want these programs Expanded for adults and older people to protect and improve cognitive function.
The study, “Hemodynamics of short-duration light-intensity physical exercise in the prefrontal cortex of children: a near-infrared spectroscopy study,” was authored by Takashi Naito, Koichiro Oka, and Kaori Ishii.
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