Scientists demonstrate superior cognitive benefits of outdoor vs indoor physical activity

A new study published in Physiology & Behavior has found that children experience greater improvements in attention, memory, and thinking speed after physical activity when it takes place outdoors rather than indoors. The findings suggest that combining exercise with time in nature may offer unique benefits for brain function—benefits that neither exercise nor outdoor exposure alone can fully explain.

The research was conducted to explore whether the environment in which children are physically active affects how much their cognitive function improves afterward. Scientists already know that physical activity and time spent in natural settings each support cognitive health. What remained unknown was whether these two factors, when combined, might amplify each other’s effects.

Previous studies had often looked at either exercise or outdoor time in isolation, or had methodological limitations such as relying on short exercise sessions, limited cognitive tests, or unbalanced activity types. The current study aimed to address those gaps by directly comparing the effects of identical physical activity sessions conducted both indoors and outdoors on children’s cognitive performance.

The research team from Nottingham Trent University recruited 45 children between the ages of 11 and 13 from two secondary schools in the United Kingdom. Each participant took part in two physical activity sessions: one held indoors and one held outdoors, with the order randomized. The sessions were spaced at least a week apart. Both sessions followed the exact same basketball-based routine, including warm-ups, drills, small games, and cooldowns. Everything was matched across the two settings—from the group size and court dimensions to the equipment and instructor—ensuring that the only major difference was the environment itself.

Before each session, immediately afterward, and again 45 minutes later, the children completed a series of computerized tests that measured different aspects of cognitive function. These included the Stroop test (assessing inhibitory control), the Sternberg paradigm (measuring working memory), and the Flanker task (evaluating attention). The researchers also measured the children’s physical activity levels during each session using heart rate monitors and GPS trackers, and assessed how much they enjoyed each session using a standard questionnaire.

The results showed that performing the physical activity outdoors led to more substantial improvements in several cognitive domains compared to doing the same activity indoors. For example, on the Stroop test’s complex level, children improved their reaction times more after outdoor activity than indoor activity 45 minutes later (94 milliseconds faster versus 20 milliseconds faster). Accuracy on this same task also increased more outdoors than indoors.

Similar patterns were seen on the working memory test: on both the one-item and three-item versions of the Sternberg paradigm, children responded faster after the outdoor session than after the indoor one. For attention, measured through the Flanker task, reaction times improved more in the outdoor setting on the congruent trials, and accuracy stayed stable outdoors but declined indoors on the more difficult incongruent trials.

Importantly, the improved cognitive performance after outdoor activity occurred despite children covering less ground and performing fewer sprints compared to the indoor sessions. However, their average heart rates were higher outdoors, suggesting that the outdoor setting may have naturally encouraged more intense effort. Still, physical exertion alone didn’t fully account for the cognitive benefits, as the children reported similar levels of enjoyment and didn’t show major mood differences between the sessions.

These findings add to a growing body of research suggesting that exposure to natural environments may help restore mental energy and improve brain functioning. One explanation for this is known as Attention Restoration Theory, which proposes that natural settings engage the brain in a gentle, non-demanding way, giving it a chance to recover from mental fatigue.

Another possibility is that being in nature reduces stress and improves emotional well-being, which could indirectly support better cognitive performance. However, in this study, the children reported equal levels of enjoyment across both sessions, suggesting that mood effects alone are unlikely to explain the cognitive differences.

This study was methodologically strong in several ways. The researchers used a counterbalanced crossover design, which means each child served as their own comparison, reducing the influence of individual differences. All physical activity sessions were standardized, and objective measures of effort and movement were collected. The researchers also tested cognitive function at multiple time points, offering insight into both immediate and short-term effects.

However, the study had some limitations. It was conducted in only two relatively rural schools, both of which had access to green outdoor space. The results might be different in urban environments with less greenery or more distractions. The study also focused on a narrow age range, meaning the findings may not apply equally to younger children or older teenagers. Additionally, although physical effort was objectively measured, the study did not assess the children’s subjective perception of how hard they were working, which could offer another layer of understanding in future research.

The authors suggest that future studies could explore how the type of outdoor setting—such as a park, wooded area, or urban playground—affects outcomes. They also recommend looking at older adolescents, especially those under high academic pressure, as they may benefit even more from the restorative effects of outdoor physical activity. Incorporating measures of perceived effort alongside enjoyment and objective physical output could also help untangle how different factors interact to influence cognitive performance.

The study, “Outdoor physical activity is more beneficial than indoor physical activity for cognition in young people,” was authored by Grace Walters, Karah J. Dring, Ryan A. Williams, Robert Needham, and Simon B. Cooper.