Article entitled "Why I feel better after I exercise" validating why we need more Fitness based movement in schools.

1. Why do I think better after I exercise?
Another explanation for why working up a
sweat enhances our mental capacity is that
the hippocampus, a part of the brain critical
for learning and memory, is highly active
during exercise. When the neurons in this
structure rev up, research shows that our
cognitive function improves. For instance,
studies in mice have revealed that running
enhances spatial learning. Other recent
work indicates that aerobic exercise can
actually reverse hippocampal shrinkage,
which occurs naturally with age, and
consequently boost memory in older adults.
Yet another study found that students who
exercise perform better on tests than their
less athletic peers.
The big question of why we evolved to get a
mental boost from a trip to the gym,
however, remains unanswered.
When our ancestors worked up a
sweat, they were probably fleeing a
predator or chasing their next meal.
During such emergencies, extra
blood flow to the brain could have
helped them react quickly and
cleverly to an impending threat or
kill prey that was critical to their
survival.
So if you are having a mental block,
go for a jog or hike. The exercise
might help pull you out of your
funk.
Why is it that I seem to think better when I
walk or exercise?
—Emily Lenneville, Baltimore
Justin Rhodes, an associate professor of
psychology at the University of Illinois at
Urbana-Champaign, responds:
After being cooped up inside all day, your
afternoon stroll may leave you feeling
clearheaded. This sensation is not just in
your mind. A growing body of evidence
suggests we think and learn better when we
walk or do another form of exercise. The
reason for this phenomenon, however, is
not completely understood.
Part of the reason exercise enhances
cognition has to do with blood flow.
Research shows that when we exercise,
blood pressure and blood flow increase
everywhere in the body, including the brain.
More blood means more energy and
oxygen, which makes our brain perform
better.
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