Combining mindfulness and physical activity: effects on executive functions and perceived stress in elementary school children

IntroductionMindfulness and physical activity programs for schools are popular and hold promise, particularly in relation to improving cognitive performance. A growing body of research has detailed the beneficial relationship... [ view full abstract ]

Introduction

Mindfulness and physical activity programs for schools are popular and hold promise, particularly in relation to improving cognitive performance. A growing body of research has detailed the beneficial relationship of chronic and acute participation to physical activity on aspects of cognition that underlie academic achievement. Although a substantial amount of research on mindfulness has been published, much of this work involves extensive multi-week trainings. Research on single mindfulness session and its immediate effects has received little attention. The aim of the current study was to investigate the acute effects of physical activity and mindfulness on executive functions (EF) and perceived stress in elementary school children.

Methods

Eighty-two primary school children (38 boys and 44 girls) aged 6–12 years old participated in this randomized, crossover study. Children participated in four fifteen minutes interventions: 1) physical activity, 2) mindfulness, 3) combination of mindfulness and physical activity, and 4) listen to a documentary (control intervention). Children randomly attended the interventions during school hours in class on four different days. Executive functions measured included inhibition (Stroop test), and cognitive flexibility (Trail making test). Perceived stress before and after the intervention was measured using a single question with a visual analog scale. In accordance with a priori hypotheses, the sample population was divided into two groups, higher-performers and lower-performers.

Results

Overall, findings revealed that a single bout of physical activity, mindfulness or combination of mindfulness and physical activity facilitates cognitive performance in lower-performers compared to the control intervention.

Conclusion

The present findings provide initial support for the prediction made that using short bouts of physical activity, mindfulness or a combination of both as a mean of regulating attention in the classroom can be beneficial for children who need it most.