These findings suggest selective exercise-induced changes to cognitive control for aspects of inhibitory control and attention but not for working memory. Furthermore, the findings suggest that short bouts of exercise may be efficacious for maintaining cognitive performance, which may have implications for scholastic achievement.

No abstract

The present study examined the relationship between children's activities at a nursery school and the amount of physical activity in the COVID-19 pandemic and obtained primary data to promote future childcare activities. Healthy preschool children aged 3 -5 (N = 21) participated in the survey. Children wore an activity tracker (Polar, A360) on the wrist of the non-dominant hand for three hours in the morning on five days, just after the state of emergency was lifted. The measurements included "activity time", "moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) time", and "average heart rate (HR)". The activity time was defined as physical activity time with an intensity of over 60% HRmax (maximum heart rate). MVPA time was defined as time doing physical activity with an intensity higher than 70% HRmax. From the results of this study, in childcare under COVID-19 pandemic, the activity time of each day was 37.8 ± 25.0 min to 87.0 ± 34.7 min, and the MVPA time was 4.7 ± 6.3 min to 33.7 ± 26.1 min, and the average heart rate was 111.3 ± 7.3 bpm at the lowest and 126.8 ± 9.9 bpm at the highest. In particular, the time of MVPA, which is expected to improve physical strength, was approximately 15min on a five-day average, which was significantly shorter than previous studies. Children's health and development of athletic ability are hindered by insufficient opportunities for physical activities and exercise because of the current COVID-19 pandemic. Securing exercise time and increasing exercise intensity should be considered in childcare to increase children's physical activity in childcare.

The purpose of this study was to examine a physical education class utilizing information and communication technology (ICT). In particular, it aimed to clarify the effects of visual feedback displaying the participants' heart rate (HR) on a monitor during endurance running. The participants comprised 45 (boys = 20, girls = 25) fifth-grade students enrolled in a Japanese elementary school in Osaka prefecture. The study compared the participants' HR when it was displayed on a monitor during their running and when it was not displayed. Their HR was measured using a wearable device (Polar A360). The participants' rating of perceived exertion (RPE) and responses to the feeling scale (FS) were measured after their endurance running. The results showed that when the participants' HR was displayed on the monitor, it was significantly higher (p < 0.01) than when it was not displayed. In the case of the girls, their RPE was also significantly higher (p < 0.05) when their HR was displayed on the monitor. In the case of the boys, even when their HR was significantly higher as a result of being displayed on the monitor, their RPE was maintained. These results raise the possibility that a more challenging learning environment was created, whereby the students tried to increase their HR, even though their RPE was already strong. The responses to the FS showed that negative feelings were not aroused, even when HR increased for both the boys and the girls. Therefore, the visual feedback during the endurance running may have been effective. In this way, physical education classes using ICT can be effective in enhancing children's endurance and motivation for learning.

The efforts that endurance running has on motor competence in a physical education class when using ICT