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Effect of Physical Exercise at Different Intensities on Attention Ability in 5-6-Year-Old Children

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Title: Effect of Physical Exercise at Different Intensities on Attention Ability in 5-6-Year-Old Children
Language: English
Authors: Feng Lu (ORCID 0009-0000-6356-2738), Han Lan, Chenyang Ji, Xinliang Wang, Xiaoming Pan
Source: Mind, Brain, and Education. 2026 20(1).
Availability: Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 10
Publication Date: 2026
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Descriptors: Exercise, Attention, Young Children, Child Behavior, Life Style, Effect Size, Attention Span, Physical Activities
DOI: 10.1111/mbe.70036
ISSN: 1751-2271
1751-228X
Abstract: This study aimed to investigate both the relationship between parent-reported habitual exercise and attention in young children and the immediate effects of different acute exercise intensities on their attention performance. Using a two-phase design, the study first employed parent questionnaires from 180 children aged 5-6 years in a quasi-experimental group comparison, followed by a behavioral experiment where 157 of these children were assigned to four exercise conditions to measure attention after acute exercise. Results from the parent reports showed that light habitual exercise correlated with multiple attention components, most strongly with stability (r = 0.27, p < 0.01). Vigorous exercise correlated with distribution and shift (r = 0.16-0.18, all ps < 0.05). Under various exercise intensities, the attention ability of children with more habitual exercise was significantly better than that of children with less exercise (all ps < 0.05), with large effect sizes (Cohen's d = 0.61-1.57). Data from the behavioral experiment showed that children in the acute moderate-intensity exercise group scored highest in attention span, distribution, and stability (n[superscript 2][subscript p] = 0.06-0.25, all ps < 0.05). In conclusion, regular engagement in light-to-vigorous physical activity may be associated with healthier development of attention abilities in early childhood. Acute moderate-intensity exercise transiently enhances children's attention span, stability, and distribution performance within 10 min post-exercise, whereas acute vigorous-intensity exercise reduces attention span during this immediate post-exercise period.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: EJ1498552
Database: ERIC
FullText Text:
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  Data: Effect of Physical Exercise at Different Intensities on Attention Ability in 5-6-Year-Old Children
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  Data: English
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  Data: &lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;AR&quot; term=&quot;%22Feng+Lu%22&quot;&gt;Feng Lu&lt;/searchLink&gt; (ORCID &lt;externalLink term=&quot;https://orcid.org/0009-0000-6356-2738&quot;&gt;0009-0000-6356-2738&lt;/externalLink&gt;)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;AR&quot; term=&quot;%22Han+Lan%22&quot;&gt;Han Lan&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;AR&quot; term=&quot;%22Chenyang+Ji%22&quot;&gt;Chenyang Ji&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;AR&quot; term=&quot;%22Xinliang+Wang%22&quot;&gt;Xinliang Wang&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;AR&quot; term=&quot;%22Xiaoming+Pan%22&quot;&gt;Xiaoming Pan&lt;/searchLink&gt;
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  Data: Wiley. Available from: John Wiley &amp; Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us
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  Data: &lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;DE&quot; term=&quot;%22Exercise%22&quot;&gt;Exercise&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;DE&quot; term=&quot;%22Attention%22&quot;&gt;Attention&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;DE&quot; term=&quot;%22Young+Children%22&quot;&gt;Young Children&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;DE&quot; term=&quot;%22Child+Behavior%22&quot;&gt;Child Behavior&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;DE&quot; term=&quot;%22Life+Style%22&quot;&gt;Life Style&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;DE&quot; term=&quot;%22Effect+Size%22&quot;&gt;Effect Size&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;DE&quot; term=&quot;%22Attention+Span%22&quot;&gt;Attention Span&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;DE&quot; term=&quot;%22Physical+Activities%22&quot;&gt;Physical Activities&lt;/searchLink&gt;
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  Data: 10.1111/mbe.70036
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  Group: ISSN
  Data: 1751-2271&lt;br /&gt;1751-228X
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: This study aimed to investigate both the relationship between parent-reported habitual exercise and attention in young children and the immediate effects of different acute exercise intensities on their attention performance. Using a two-phase design, the study first employed parent questionnaires from 180 children aged 5-6 years in a quasi-experimental group comparison, followed by a behavioral experiment where 157 of these children were assigned to four exercise conditions to measure attention after acute exercise. Results from the parent reports showed that light habitual exercise correlated with multiple attention components, most strongly with stability (r = 0.27, p &lt; 0.01). Vigorous exercise correlated with distribution and shift (r = 0.16-0.18, all ps &lt; 0.05). Under various exercise intensities, the attention ability of children with more habitual exercise was significantly better than that of children with less exercise (all ps &lt; 0.05), with large effect sizes (Cohen&#39;s d = 0.61-1.57). Data from the behavioral experiment showed that children in the acute moderate-intensity exercise group scored highest in attention span, distribution, and stability (n[superscript 2][subscript p] = 0.06-0.25, all ps &lt; 0.05). In conclusion, regular engagement in light-to-vigorous physical activity may be associated with healthier development of attention abilities in early childhood. Acute moderate-intensity exercise transiently enhances children&#39;s attention span, stability, and distribution performance within 10 min post-exercise, whereas acute vigorous-intensity exercise reduces attention span during this immediate post-exercise period.
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  Data: As Provided
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  Data: 2026
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        Value: 10.1111/mbe.70036
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      – Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 10
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Exercise
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Attention
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Young Children
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Child Behavior
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      – SubjectFull: Life Style
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Effect Size
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Attention Span
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Physical Activities
        Type: general
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      – TitleFull: Effect of Physical Exercise at Different Intensities on Attention Ability in 5-6-Year-Old Children
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            NameFull: Chenyang Ji
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            NameFull: Xinliang Wang
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            NameFull: Xiaoming Pan
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