The power of physical fitness

Thursday, March 10, 2005

By Nancy Norkiewicz/Get the Beat, The Star

We've all heard claims before about the power of physical fitness and how it helps people to be more confidant and mentally tough, but a new study suggests that it might be an even greater positive influence than we had ever thought. In fact, the latest research shows that better physical fitness will not only help us perform better on the playing field, but scholastically as well.

The study was conducted at the University of Illinois and it took a look at the relationship between physical fitness and cognitive function among different groups of both fit and sedentary adults and children. In terms of cognitive function, working memory and attention were two of the areas that researchers focused on most.

One test consisted of using a "visual oddball" to observe and record each subject's ability to recognize, respond and discriminate between different visual stimuli. During the test, those tested were presented with two stimuli: one cartoon drawing of a cat and another of a dog. Both of the drawings appeared with different probabilities, with one being presented more frequently than the other.

And just what did the researchers discover? University of Illinois Kinesiology professor Charles Hillman found that when researchers measured brain activation, the fit children yielded more resources toward identifying stimuli, and they did it much faster than their unfit counterparts. It turns out that when it came to behavior, more fit individuals made fewer errors than those who were sedentary. In terms of response speed, the fit children were slower than both fit and sedentary adults, but they were faster than other sedentary children.

So, what does this research mean for us? It's important and encouraging for people to know that by improving their health and fitness with exercise participation, their capacity for mental enhancement might also improve. It also points out that as the only state in the nation that currently requires daily physical education as part of it's curriculum, Illinois clearly recognizes the value and connection between a healthy mind and fit body. Studies like this one conducted at the University of Illinois will continue to reinforce the argument for keeping physical education a part of our childrens daily educational experience, even as school budgets and funds grow tighter. With more and more research being brought to the forefront, it becomes even easier to see the obvious connection between a strong mind and strong body. The way I see it, that's a win-win for everyone

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