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There was also some evidence that it improved children's wellbeing and self-esteem.
However, the effects were greater in children who had lower self-worth and self-esteem to begin with and were only evident when the daily mile was consistently held in schools for a prolonged period of time.
If children took part in the daily mile over a long period, there was also some evidence that it could improve "cognitive function" - things like thinking, reasoning and problem solving.
'Improved short-term mental health'
But the researchers said that "whilst initial results are promising, the long-term benefits are unclear" and more studies were needed into how the daily mile might benefit thinking skills.
There was also little evidence so far that the activity improved children's academic performance.
Dr Gavin Breslin from UU, who led the review into the daily mile, said it "is working for physical activity and physical
fitness"."We didn't find convincing evidence that it improves mental health in the long-term," he told BBC News NI.
"But we did find it improved mental health in the short-term.
"We didn't find sufficient evidence for a change in academic performance, like school grades
A new factor that supports exercise to lessen the odds of dying of certain cancers has been uncovered by researchers from Edith Cowan University in Perth, Australia. Their research involved men with advanced “late-stage” prostate cancer.
As a result of an exercise program, the research team found elevated levels of a protein called “myokines” in the blood of participants. Myokines are produced in skeletal muscle, the muscles you use when exercising, and they help in two ways. One, they can stunt the rate of growth of existing cancer tumors, and two, they fight cancer cells, helping to prevent new tumors from forming.
Not only did participants benefit from the ongoing exercise program, but researchers also found benefits from just one bout of exercise. When participants performed 34 minutes of high-intensity exercise on a stationary cycle, there was a substantial boost in myokines that suppressed the growth of prostate cancer cells “in vitro” (test tube analysis of cells removed from the body).
Researchers were delighted with the results and concluded "this is helping us to understand why patients who exercise exhibit slower disease progression and survive for longer.