The exercise-cognition relationship: A virtuous circle

Abstract

Exercise and health psychology have generated 2 sets of empirical studies guided by separate theory-driven axes. The first axis focuses on the causal relationship between chronic exercise and cognition and, more particularly, high-level cognitive functions such as executive functions (EFs). The second axis examines factors influencing the adherence process to physical activity (PA). Research conducted during the past decade shows that these 2 topics are closely linked, with EFs and effortful control playing a pivotal role in the bidirectional relationship linking PA and mental/brain health. The present article supports the idea that an individual engaged in the regular practice of effortful PA initiates a virtuous circle linking PA and effortful control in a bidirectional way. On the one hand, chronic exercise leads to an improvement of EFs and effortful control. On the other hand, gains in EFs and effortful control effectiveness lead to a reciprocal facilitation of the maintenance of PA over time. Some limitations and perspectives to this effort hypothesis are proposed in the last part of the article.

Keywords: Adherence; Effort; Executive functions; Physical activity; Salience network.

Graphical abstract

Fig. 1

Schematic illustration of the bidirectional relationship between physical activity/chronic exercise and executive functions/effortful control. The right arrow illustrates the causal link between regular physical activity/chronic exercise and executive functions/effortful control; that is, regularly practicing exercise leads to an improvement of executive functions and effortful control. The left arrow illustrates the causal link between executive functions/effortful control and practicing regular physical activity/exercise; that is, a high efficiency in executive functions and effortful control leads to a better adherence to exercise.