Relación entre actividad física y procesos cognitivos en niños y adolescentes de educación básica

Physical activity generates great health benefits by improving the musculoskeletal, cardiovascular and nervous systems. In the cognitive aspect, it improves attention, memory, concentration, perception and could improve academic performance. The health benefits in children and adolescents who engage in physical activity range from an improvement in body composition, a decrease in anxiety and stress states, as well as an increase in self-esteem, attention and executive functions. Objective: identify the relationship between physical activity and children's cognitive processes by compiling research articles in Spanish and English in which a physical activation program was implemented. Method: a systematic review was developed of nine articles found in the following databases: Pubmed, Google Scholar, Sciencedirect and Dialnet. Results: the practice of physical activity has beneficial effects on the cognitive performance of the participants. Conclusions: different types of physical activity generate benefits for children and adolescents, so it is recommended to promote physical activity from the first years of life.