A growing body of research indicates that physical activity (PA) positively impacts cognitive function in youth. However, not all forms of PA benefit cognition equally. The purpose of this review was to determine the effect of different types of chronic PA interventions on cognition in children and adolescents. A systematic search of electronic databases and examination of the reference lists of relevant studies resulted in the identification of 28 studies. Seven categories of PA were identified, based on all possible combinations of three types of PA (aerobic, motor skill, cognitively engaging), and four comparison groups (no treatment, academic, traditional physical education (PE), aerobic). Effect sizes were calculated based on means and SDs at the post-test using Hedge’s g formula, which includes a correction for small sample bias. Each study was only entered once in each intervention-comparator category. Full data were provided from 21 studies (28 effect sizes; n = 2042 intervention; n = 2002 comparison group). Overall, chronic PA interventions had a significant small-to-moderate effect on cognition (0.46). Moderate significant positive effects were identified when PA interventions were compared to no treatment (0.86) or academic content (0.57). A non-significant effect was noted when PA interventions were compared to traditional PE (0.09) or aerobic group (0.80). However, high heterogeneity in pooled effect sizes suggests that important differences in the qualitative characteristics of the PA intervention and comparison interventions may exist. Effect sizes based on comparisons between different types of PA interventions and comparison groups are discussed in order to identify possible directions for future investigations. We conclude that chronic PA interventions have a positive impact on cognitive function in youth, but more systematic research is needed in this area.

Background/Objective: Movement integration (MI) involves infusing physical activity into normal classroom time. A wide range of MI interventions have succeeded in increasing children’s participation in physical activity. However, no previous research has attempted to unpack the various MI intervention approaches. Therefore, this study aimed to systematically review, qualitatively analyze, and develop a typology of MI interventions conducted in primary/elementary school settings. Subjects/Methods: Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were followed to identify published MI interventions. Irrelevant records were removed first by title, then by abstract, and finally by full texts of articles, resulting in 72 studies being retained for qualitative analysis. A deductive approach, using previous MI research as an a priori analytic framework, alongside inductive techniques were used to analyze the data. Results: Four types of MI interventions were identified and labeled based on their design: student-driven, teacher-driven, researcher-teacher collaboration, and researcher-driven. Each type was further refined based on the MI strategies (movement breaks, active lessons, other: opening activity, transitions, reward, awareness), the level of intrapersonal and institutional support (training, resources), and the delivery (dose, intensity, type, fidelity). Nearly half of the interventions were researcher-driven, which may undermine the sustainability of MI as a routine practice by teachers in schools. An imbalance is evident on the MI strategies, with transitions, opening and awareness activities, and rewards being limitedly studied. Delivery should be further examined with a strong focus on reporting fidelity. Conclusions: There are distinct approaches that are most often employed to promote the use of MI and these approaches may often lack a minimum standard for reporting MI intervention details. This typology may be useful to effectively translate the evidence into practice in real-life settings to better understand and study MI interventions.

Classroom-based physical activity is a new approach aiming to improve both physical activity levels and academic achievement. This study investigated the acute effect of a 10-min bout of aerobic physical activity integrated with math practice, compared with a seated math practice, on executive function and enjoyment among normal-weight (n = 24) and overweight children (n = 11). Thirty-five typically developing prepubescent children (10.55 ± 0.74 years) completed a session of physical activity integrated with math practice and a seated math practice session in counterbalanced order. Results showed that following integrated physical activity, the response time in the Standard Flanker improved more than after seated practice. Among the overweight children, physical activity benefitted performance in the Standard Flanker by preventing the decline associated with seated practice. Children enjoyed the physical activity practice more than the seated practice. These findings suggest that integrating physical activity with academic instruction may be a realistic strategy for promoting physical activity because it may facilitate, not antagonize, executive function.

In the surging field of chronic physical activity (PA) and cognition research, problems arise that prevent us from ‘seeing the forest for the trees’. The first aim was to identify them and propose solutions. Moreover, inconsistencies in conclusions of a rising amount of systematic reviews render necessary ‘an umbrella for a rain of evidence’. The second aim was to obtain a differentiated picture of moderators that may explain inconsistencies using the wide-angle lens of a systematic meta-review. We especially addressed the role of the PA context in causation mechanisms, complementing the meta-review with a realist approach that is best suited to identify context-mechanism-outcome (CMO) configurations. Main review outcomes are: (1) inconsistent grading of methodological quality and low consideration of external validity; (2) role of multiple moderators at participant-, intervention-, study-level but relative neglect of context-level moderators; (3) explanatory potential of CMO configurations, in which specific conditions of the context may trigger different mechanisms that generate PA effects on cognition. The majority of the proposed mechanisms converge on the concept of enrichment. Conclusions highlight the need for future research, in which PA interventions and their contexts are designed to mobilize the different mechanisms underpinning their individual and joint effects on cognition.

Integrating physical activity (PA) in the classroom is a promising avenue for youth to increase their PA levels and academic achievement. However, research on its role in children's academic motivation is limited. Intrinsic motivation is important because it predicts both academic achievement and physical activity participation. The purpose was to examine the effect of PA integrated with academic lessons compared to traditional lessons on children's academic motivation. A total of 147 4th to 6th grade students (64 male, 83 female) from 15 classes participated. The intervention included six consecutive lessons over a two-week period on an academic subject (Language Arts, Math, Social Studies), alternating between traditional (1st, 2nd, 4th, and 6th; control) and integrated with PA (10 min) lessons in the classroom (3rd and 5th). The Intrinsic Motivation Inventory was used to assess students' Interest/Enjoyment, Perceived Competence, Effort, Value, and Pressure. After checking for non-significant interactions with gender, age, and academic subject, repeated-measure ANOVAs were conducted. Interest/Enjoyment significantly decreased after the traditional lessons (4th and 6th, F = 3.80, F = 4.18, respectively, p < 0.05) and increased significantly after the second integrated lesson (5th, F = 7.26, p < 0.01). Perceived Competence and Effort significantly increased after the integrated lesson (F = 4.87, F = 5.03, respectively, p < 0.05), whereas neither the Perceived Value of the lesson declined nor did children report feelings of Pressure from this alternative teaching method. This research showed that PA integrated with the academic subjects can positively impact children's academic motivation.

Integrating physical activity (PA) with academics in the classroom is a newly explored approach, promising to improve both PA and academic achievement. The purposes of this study were to examine (a) the effect of lessons integrating PA with math, compared to traditional lessons, on math performance and perceived competence in math over an 8-week period, and (b) whether perceived competence in math and need satisfaction associated with the integrated lessons could predict math performance at the end of the intervention. Fourteen 4th and 5th grade classes were assigned to an integrated PA group (N = 106; using the “Move for Thought” kit), or a control group (N = 118; traditional lessons). A measure of perceived competence in math and a comprehensive, timed math test were completed before and after the intervention by both groups. Perceived need satisfaction associated with the integrated lessons was measured at the end of the intervention. The improvement in math performance in the integrated PA group was significantly larger compared to that of the control group. Perceived competence for math remained high and stable over time in both groups. Hierarchical regression analysis, controlling for gender and pretest math performance, showed that both perceived competence in math and satisfaction of the need for competence associated with the integrated lessons significantly predicted posttest math performance. This study makes a unique contribution to the literature on Self-Determination Theory-based interventions for enhancing academic performance by examining the effects of integrating PA with an academic subject.