Physical Activity in High School Classrooms: A Promising Avenue for Future Research

Adolescence represents a sensitive period whereby lifestyle factors such as physical activity can have profound, long-lasting effects on development and later life habits. However, adolescence constitutes a period of frequent sedentary behaviour. Among children, integrating physical activity into elementary school classrooms has been shown to reduce sedentary behaviour and improve academic achievement and overall physical and mental health. However, this promising area of research has not extended to adolescents and high school classrooms. In this paper, we describe the benefits of conducting research on the impact of physically active high school classrooms, and highlight the challenges and potential misconceptions associated with research in this field. Specifically, we review research on the role of physical activity in adolescent development, the benefits of classroom-based physical activity for children, and discuss the factors that may have led researchers to focus on classroom-based physical activity primarily for children, despite the potentially similar benefits for adolescents

Exploring the Relationship between Cardiorespiratory Fitness and Executive Functioning in Adults with ADHD

Objective: Associations between measures of executive functioning (EF) and cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) were examined for adults with and without ADHD. Method: Measures of executive functioning including the Stroop task, Wisconsin Card Sorting task, and Operation Span Task were completed virtually (n = 36 ADHD; n = 36 Control). Participants completed the Six-Minute Walk Test to estimate CRF. Results: Mean performance measures of executive function did not differ by group. However, higher estimated CRF was associated with better Stroop task performance, and the association was strongest for individuals with ADHD. Conclusion: In adults with ADHD, higher estimated CRF was associated with better inhibitory control, but not with other measures of executive functioning

Correction: Ogrodnik et al. Exploring the Relationship between Cardiorespiratory Fitness and Executive Functioning in Adults with ADHD. <i>Brain Sci.</i> 2023, <i>13</i>, 673

During the final proofreading step of this paper [...

Physical Activity in High School Classrooms: A Promising Avenue for Future Research

Adolescence represents a sensitive period whereby lifestyle factors such as physical activity can have profound, long-lasting effects on development and later life habits. However, adolescence constitutes a period of frequent sedentary behaviour. Among children, integrating physical activity into elementary school classrooms has been shown to reduce sedentary behaviour and improve academic achievement and overall physical and mental health. However, this promising area of research has not extended to adolescents and high school classrooms. In this paper, we describe the benefits of conducting research on the impact of physically active high school classrooms, and highlight the challenges and potential misconceptions associated with research in this field. Specifically, we review research on the role of physical activity in adolescent development, the benefits of classroom-based physical activity for children, and discuss the factors that may have led researchers to focus on classroom-based physical activity primarily for children, despite the potentially similar benefits for adolescents