A study, published in the journal NeuroImage, showed that physical fitness in children may increase the volume of grey matter in specific brain regions, which can help in improving their academic performance.
In particular, aerobic capacity is associated with greater grey matter volume in regions important for the executive function as well as for learning, motor, and visual processes.
The research links motor ability with higher grey matter volume in two regions essential for language processing and reading: the inferior frontal gyrus and the superior temporal gyrus. However, muscular strength did not show any independent association with gray matter volume in any brain region.
The grey matter volume in the cortical and subcortical regions influenced by physical fitness improves in turn the children’s academic performance, said Irene Esteban-Cornejo, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Granada.
Researchers conclude that physical fitness is a factor that can be modified through exercise, and combining exercises that improve aerobic capacity and motor ability would be an effective approach to stimulate brain development and academic performance in kids who are obese or overweight. Your diet can also play a crucial role in improving your brainpower.
