Research: PEAK – Mood, Mind and Marks

Posted: 10/09/2025

A 12‑week pilot study at Monash University tested “PEAK – Mood, Mind, and Marks”, a neuroscience-backed exercise program co-designed with students to boost mental and cognitive health. Nearly half of participants reached the goal of exercising greater than three times per week. More importantly, students (notably those previously inactive) saw lower sedentary time, enhanced well‑being, less loneliness, and better concentration, memory, and productivity. Although self-reported exercise activity was inconsistent, the social connection and belief in the program’s academic relevance helped drive these improvements.

This study shows that a well-designed, behaviour‑change and evidence‑aligned exercise initiative can improve students’ mental resilience, cognitive performance, and campus belonging, even before perfecting activity tracking.

Citation: Brown, H., Demarco, L., Clarke, E. J. R., et.al. PEAK Mood, Mind, and Marks: A neuroscience-informed exercise program to enhance student mental health, cognition, and academic performance in higher education. Frontiers in Psychiatry, Volume 15, 2024. (link)

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