It may seem counterintuitive, but a new study in the journal Psychology of Sport and Exercise indicates that kids ages 9-12 do better on school tests when they are allowed to have nine minutes of high-intensity interval exercise (HIIE) in the classroom before they pick up their pencils and take an exam.

Not only does their elevated heart rate correlate with improved cognitive performance, they are also better able to deal with making mistakes and then move forward.

We can all learn something from this research, which adds to earlier findings that:

• College-age guys experience improved attention and processing speed after an acute bout of resistance exercise.

• Older adults who exercise gain the greatest brain benefits with improvement in cognition, executive function, and memory.

• Mind-body exercises such as tai chi and dancing improve cognition, working memory, and learning in older people, whether or not they're cognitively impaired.

The bottom line is that at every age, you have to move it or lose it — and it’s especially important to teach kids the value of physical activity for the strength of their muscles and their mind.

You can make that a family project by taking daily walks and playing together, and making sure no one is sedentary.

Also, talk to the school about instituting a HIIE routine before tests.

And check out my books "YOU: Raising Your Child" and "The RealAge Workout."