Effectiveness of Physical Activity Course on Preschool Children’s Working Memory: Emphasizing Environmental Change

Working memory is among the essential components of executive function. Due to the different physiological and cognitive needs of open and closed motor exercises, this study aimed to investigate and assess the effects of open and closed exercises on the working memory of preschool children.

This study was quasi-experimental with pre-test and post-test design. Thirty preschool children in Kermanshah were randomly divided into two open and closed exercise groups. Before the exercise protocol, all participants underwent Wechsler Intelligence Test and working memory pre-test with N-back software. Each group performed their one-hour training sessions for 12 weeks (three sessions per week). The exercise intensity was set at (60±5%) of the heart rate reserve level (HRR), with HR being monitored by a heart rate monitor. Data analysis was performed using the analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) by SPSS software v. 23.

The findings revealed a significant difference between open skill training (OSE) and closed skill training (CSE) (P≤0.05). OSE compared to CSE had a more significant effect on increasing children’s working memory. 

The findings demonstrated that 12 weeks of OSE has a more significant effect on increasing the working memory of preschool children (compared to CSE). Therefore, it is recommended that preschool children participate in OSE (higher cognitive load) to improve their working memory.