Brief light-intensity exercise improves executive function and mood in children

In modern society, physical inactivity and sedentary behavior have become common issues globally. This trend is also growing among children, raising concerns for their mental and physical health. Sedentary behavior in children can affect the development of executive function (EF), higher-order cognitive processes that govern goal-oriented behavior and self-control, necessary for daily life. Strong EF during childhood forms the foundation for self-regulation and social functioning, academic achievement, and emotional well-being throughout childhood and adolescence.

Previous studies have shown that both acute and chronic exercises can enhance EF. While chronic exercise is essential for long-term cognitive development, even brief bouts of activity can offer immediate, but short-lived, cognitive and emotional benefits that may help improve children's learning efficiency during the school day. Other studies have also highlighted the importance of short-duration exercise interventions, such as light-intensity exercise, that can be delivered within the classroom. While many studies show that light-intensity exercise improves inhibitory control (a core component of EF) and mood in adults, very few studies have examined whether these same benefits occur in children.

In a new study, a research team led by doctoral student Takashi Naito from the Graduate School of Sport Sciences at Waseda University in Japan investigated whether brief, light-intensity exercise improves EF and psychological mood in children. "Studies have shown that more than 80% of children worldwide do not meet WHO's recommended level of physical activity, and their sedentary time has increased by about 1 hour per day over the last decade," says Naito, explaining their motivation. The team also included Professor Kaori Ishii and Professor Koichiro Oka from Waseda University. Their study was published in Volume 15 of the Scientific Reports on December 05, 2025.

Thirty-one healthy school children, aged 10-14 years, participated in the study. Researchers ensured that none had a history of mental or neurological disorders, physician-imposed exercise restrictions, or color vision deficiency.

The participants were randomly assigned to either a control group or an exercise group. During the experiment, all participants completed a psychological mood questionnaire followed by a cognitive task twice, before and after a break session. The psychological mood questionnaire was based on the Two-Dimensional Mood Scale, which measures pleasure and arousal scores. For the cognitive task, the well-known Color-word Stroop task (CWST) was administered, which measures inhibitory control ¾ defined as the ability to control attention, thoughts, and emotions to override internal impulses or external distractions and instead carry out a more appropriate or required action.

During the break session, the participants in the control group rested for 15 minutes. Those in the experiment group rested for 10 minutes, then engaged in a light 3.5-minute exercise, followed by an additional 1.5-minute rest. The exercise program comprised six easy-to-perform movements, including dynamic stretching, static stretching with trunk rotation, single-leg balance, and hand dexterity exercises, all associated with prefrontal cortex (PFC) activation. The researchers also conducted heart-rate measurements during the exercise for the experiment group and examined PFC activation during CWST for both groups.

Children who performed the light-intensity exercise showed significantly reduced reaction times in the following cognitive task compared to the control group. "Our findings show that incorporating short bouts of light-intensity exercise in school, such as before the beginning of classes or during breaks, can improve inhibitory control and mood in children, with potential to improve learning efficiency," remarks Naito.

Importantly, this is the first study worldwide across all age groups to demonstrate improvements in both executive function and mood using light-intensity exercise, lasting less than 5 minutes.