E70: 🧠 Exercise cognition research — Examining how physical activity shapes the brain

About this episode

The episode explores how physical activity influences cognitive functions and the importance of exercise in educational settings.

Beyond the obvious benefits exercise has on your body, research shows that it has powerful benefits on your brain, too—like improved memory, attention, and processing speed. Simon Schaerz (Exercise Science instructor at Lethbridge Polytechnic), David Selles (Physical Education student from the University of Lethbridge), and Tyler Duffy (Exercise Science student at Lethbridge Polytechnic) discuss exercise cognition and its profound impacts on the brain—specifically, on executive functioning. Exercise cognition research could also be pivotal in helping prioritize physical education (PE) programs—especially in K-12, where PE's importance can often be minimized. During the show, guests and host (Craig) mention: Lethbridge Polytechnic Exercise Science Program Exercise-physiology class Research Methods in Kinesiology class DCM Program University of Lethbridge Physical Education Program Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain by John J. Ratey Embodied Cognition Theory Central Governor Model and Fatigue Cerebral hemodynamics Synaptogenesis Physical Activity and the Development of Executive Function in Healthy Children: A Bioecological Perspective by Simon Schaerz…

People in this episode

Host: Craig

Guests: Simon Schaerz, David Selles, Tyler Duffy

Topics covered

• exercise cognition
• physical activity
• brain health
• executive functioning
• physical education
• K-12 education

Keywords

• cognition
• exercise
• memory
• attention
• processing speed
• executive function
• physical education
• K-12
• research

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Lethbridge Polytechnic, University of Lethbridge, Health & Physical Education Council, Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, European College of Sports Science

Books & works: Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain, Physical Activity and the Development of Executive Function in Healthy Children: A Bioecological Perspective

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