A 2025 study, published in Physiology and Behavior, is the first to show that outdoor physical activity provides greater cognitive benefits than indoor activity in children aged 11 to 13.

For the experiment, 45 participants completed identical exercise sessions both indoors and outdoors, with cognitive performance measured before, immediately after, and 45 minutes post-activity using the Stroop test, Sternberg paradigm, and Flanker task. All three of these tests are designed to test various aspects of cognition.

"When children step outside, their minds open up to stronger growth and sharper cognition."

The results revealed that outdoor activity resulted in faster response times and higher accuracy across multiple cognitive domains, including inhibitory control, working memory, and attention. Outdoor exercise improved response times on the Sternberg paradigm by 34 milliseconds immediately post-exercise, compared to a 14 millisecond improvement from indoors excercise. Additionally, outdoor activity led to more significant gains on the Stroop and Flanker tasks at the 45-minute mark, with enhanced accuracy, particularly on more complex tasks.

These findings suggest that outdoor environments may amplify the cognitive benefits of physical activity. The study highlights outdoor exercise as a cost-effective strategy for supporting cognitive development in children.

This article was published with permission and originally appeared in KnoWEwell.com.