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Physical Activity and Preschool Cognitive Development: Evidence, Mechanisms, and Design
Book chapter

Physical Activity and Preschool Cognitive Development: Evidence, Mechanisms, and Design

Xun Luo, Weijia Zhu, Huiqi Song, Liye Zou, Matthew Heath and Myrto F. Mavilidi
The Handbook of Physical Activity and Cognitive Neuroscience, pp.215-229
International Perspectives on Key Issues in Sport and Excercise Psychology, Routledge, 1st
2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003625179-16
Appears in  Recent Faculty of Education Publications

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Abstract

Preschool Cognitive Development Cognitively Enriched Physical Activity (CEPA) Executive & Academic Gains via Movement (Vocabulary, Numeracy) Embodied Cognition Classroom Implementation & Scalability
This chapter synthesizes current evidence on the relationship between acute and chronic physical activity (PA) and early cognitive development, with a specific focus on preschool-aged children. It reviews studies linking PA to improvements in cognitive abilities and academic outcomes and outlines that the preschool literature remains limited and methodologically heterogeneous. Based on the embodied cognition and developmental theoretical framework, this chapter argues that the impact of exercise on learning depends on its cognitive quality and not on the amount of exercise alone. It proposes cognitively enriched physical activity (CEPA) as an integrative approach that embeds rule-following, memory demands, decision-making, and curricular content within motor tasks. Moreover, we summarize key empirical findings, including work demonstrating durable gains in vocabulary and numeracy when learning is enacted through movement. This chapter also discusses plausible neural and behavioral mechanisms, highlights design principles for targeting domain-general and domain-specific outcomes, and addresses methodological challenges such as measurement heterogeneity and the need for active control conditions. It concludes by outlining research priorities, developing standardized taxonomies of cognitive enrichment, conducting longitudinal and mechanistic studies that combine behavioral and neurophysiological measures, and translating CEPA into scalable, classroom-ready practices. Emphasizing quality over quantity, this chapter advocates for CEPA as an effective tool to promote enduring cognitive and academic gains among preschool children.

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