The Brief

LOS ANGELES - A quick, nine-minute burst of high-intensity exercise may help children do better in school, according to new research examining how brief workouts affect brain activity and academic skills.

The study, published in the journal Mental Health and Physical Activity , found that short high-intensity interval exercise (HIIE) sessions improved both brain efficiency in processing errors and word recognition fluency in children ages 9 to 12.

Researchers say the findings could guide schools in using short, targeted movement breaks to improve learning outcomes without disrupting classroom schedules.

Scientists tested 25 children in a within-subjects experiment, meaning each participant tried all three activity types:

Brain activity was monitored using electroencephal

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