Physical Education and Physical Fitness Across Development: A Neurodevelopmental Perspective on Childhood and Adolescence

Physical education is a fundamental component of childhood and adolescent development, contributing not only to physical fitness but also to cognitive, emotional, and psychosocial maturation. Contemporary evidence from developmental neuroscience highlights adolescence as a sensitive period of heightened neuroplasticity, during which physical activity exerts profound effects on brain structure and function. School-based physical education provides a unique environment that combines movement, novelty, skill acquisition, and peer interaction; key drivers of neural adaptation during this developmental “grey zone.” This chapter examines physical education as a neurodevelopmentally active process, synthesising evidence on its role in enhancing physical fitness alongside executive function, emotional regulation, motivation, and mental well-being. By integrating perspectives from exercise science and adolescent neuroscience, the chapter emphasises the need to design physical education programs that align with brain maturation processes to optimise both physical and mental health outcomes in children and adolescents.