Develop Your Brain Through Exercise

By Gail Troussoff Marks

Silver Stars Gymnastics

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Develop Your Brain Through Exercise

Most kids love to move. All children should be encouraged to move, especially those children who are timid or uncomfortable with maneuvering their bodies. Movement classes like gymnastics can boosttheskills and confidence of all ages of kids while they are having fun.In gymnastics class I often hear joyful shouts of “I can do it” as kids swing or roll or walk on the balance beam.

During my 16 yearsof teaching gymnastics to children I have observed many positive effects of exercise. A recent New York Times article by Gretchen Reynolds entitled Phys Ed Can exercise make kids smarter? reports on several studies that have tracked the effects of aerobic exercise on brain development.A recent experiment at University of Illinois offers sound scientific evidence that exercise helps brain development.

All the studies discussed in the New York Times article found that physical fitnesswas a catalyst for braindevelopment. In the Illinois experiment, aerobic exercise was found to increase the size of the basal gangliaarea of the brain.This area aids in maintaining attention and “executive function,” both of which are of paramount importance in academic learning abilities.Difficulty with executive function is typical in children with ADHD and a host of other learning and developmental challenges. Another study ofcomplex memorywith 9 and 10 year old children showed that the more physically fit the child, the larger the hippocampus area of their brains. One study, yet to be published, showed that test scores increased following 20 minutes of running on a treadmill. However, test scores did not increase for the children in the study that played sports-style video games for an equal time and intensity.

These findings leap off the page at me in their significance.Recess and physical education programs are beingcut in favor of more “academic” time or in many areas of the country, because of budget cuts. With TV, computers, and video games vying for their attention, children are increasingly sedentary. Learning issues and developmental delays are increasingin young children. This research provides scientific proof that aerobic play and physical activity are great ways to boost children's academic achievement potential. This is great news because physical activity can be accessible and inexpensive. A walk or run in the neighborhood, riding a bike, playing at the playground all these are kid friendly ways to boost brain power. These findings suggest that after school sports could make homework easier and keeping the body healthy can help the brain function.