Outdoor physical activity is more beneficial than indoor physical activity for cognition in young people

Substantial evidence demonstrates the beneficial acute effect of physical activity and the outdoor environment independently on cognitive function. However, evidence for their potential synergistic effects remain unknown.

Following familiarisation, forty-five children (aged 11-13 years) took part in an identical physical activity session outdoors and indoors; and completed a battery of cognitive tests (Stroop test, Sternberg paradigm, and Flanker task) before, immediately post-, and 45 min post-physical activity.

Following outdoor, compared to indoor, physical activity response time was improved more immediately post-physical activity on the 3-item level of the Sternberg Paradigm (-34 ms vs +14 ms; P = 0.001), at 45 min post-physical activity on the complex level of the Stroop test (-94 ms vs -20 ms; P = 0.002), the 1-item (-9 ms vs +71 ms; P = 0.026) and 3-item level of the Sternberg paradigm (-37 ms vs +69 ms; P < 0.001), and the congruent level of the Flanker test (-44 ms vs -14 ms; P = 0.001). Accuracy was also improved more outdoors (compared to indoors) immediately post-physical activity (+2.0 % vs +0.4 %; P = 0.036) and 45 min post-physical activity (+2.0 % vs +0.1 %; P = 0.043) on the complex level of the Stroop test and on the incongruent level of the Flanker test (no change vs -3 %; P = 0.008).

This is the first study to demonstrate superior cognitive benefits of outdoor, compared to indoor, physical activity. The overarching finding of this investigation is that physical activity performed outdoors significantly improves cognitive function more than when performed indoors, suggesting a synergistic effect between physical activity and the outdoor environment.