ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on how physical exercise interventions can be designed to promote cognitive growth. Physical exercise is known to be associated with numerous benefits, both in terms of physical and mental health. Beyond mere physical exercise regimens, complex forms of motor training that combine high physical and cognitive demands further confirm the appeal of alternatives to traditional exercise-based cognitive training. Importantly, a large body of research on motor expertise supports the notion that the motor system exerts influence on cognitive abilities. The motor activities are a remarkably potent way to stimulate a vast array of cognitive abilities, with numerous possibilities and variations. Research at the intersection of psychology, neuroscience, physiology and genetics is particularly promising in this regard, providing footing for a more holistic approach of exercise-induced cognitive enhancement. Developments in the new-fangled field of educational neuroscience suggest prudence and caution when extrapolating laboratory findings to the classroom.
