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Movement

We all know that getting movement in through physical exercise is good for our hearts, lungs, and waistline but did you know that physical exercise is also crucial for optimizing brain function and improving learning? There are many ways that working out our bodies benefit our brains such as increased oxygenation. Our brains have a big appetite when it comes to oxygen. Even though your brain represents on average only 2% of your body weight, it uses a whopping 20% of the oxygen you take in. When we exercise, we flood the brain with oxygen rich blood which is gobbled up and improves all sorts of brain functions.

Another way that exercise benefits your brain is that it triggers the production of brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). BDNF has trophic effects which are survival- and growth-promoting effects on our neurons. It helps our brains grow! In particular, among many other functions, it is involved in activity-dependent synaptic plasticity (neuroplasticity) and plays a role in learning and memory. The bottom line is we want BDNF production for optimal brain performance, and physical exercise is one way to trigger its production. Another benefit of exercise on the brain is that when we exercise our body releases neurochemicals such as dopamine and endorphins in our brains. These make us feel happy! Ever heard of “runner’s high?” That feel good experience is from these brain chemicals. These chemicals make us feel less stressed and less anxious and improve emotional control. Less stress results in a brain that is primed for learning.

What are some of the brain benefits of physical exercise?

  • Results in higher math and reading test scores
  • Improves emotional regulation
  • Improves sleep which in turn increases creative thinking and the ability to inference
  • Makes it easier to absorb information
  • Increases the ability to form long-term memories
  • Reduces attention deficits and increases ability to focus
  • Lowers risk of dementia

Incorporating movement through exercise into our daily lives can be fun and enriching in many ways.

Here are three suggestions to consider when building your exercise routine:

1.

Make it a Family Affair!

Exercising as a family can give you quality time together and can be a positive bonding experience. It also gives parents the opportunity to lead by example, showing children that exercise is a valuable and important priority and helps children establish lifelong habits from a young age. Many parents find that their teens are more apt to talk and engage with them while participating in a physical activity together. You might even get more than an answer of “nothing” when you ask them what they learned at school that day! So, find some time to put down the screens and put on some sneakers and you’ll find improved physical and mental health, better thinking skills, and improved relationships. 

2.

Give Interval Training a Try!

According to physical trainer, Phil Goulding, “Interval training consists of a series of repeated bouts of exercise (work intervals), ranging from several minutes to just a few seconds. During each interval you work at a prescribed intensity for a set period of time or distance and follow this with a low intensity recovery period (recovery interval). The speed, duration and rest period can all be manipulated in order to achieve differing goals from your training session.”  You can do interval training to most cardiovascular exercise. For example, you alternate jogging with walking or just alternate the intensity with rowing, running, on the elliptical, on a bike, etc. The reason to give this a try? Interval training has been shown to increase our levels of BDNF (referenced above) and thus gives an extra boost to brain power! 

3.

Break it Up!

With our busy schedules sometimes it just isn’t possible to get in a 30+ minute block for exercise but that doesn’t mean you can hit your movement goals for the day! Simply break the time up. Three 10-minute bursts of exercise has shown to still have significant health benefits for the brain and body. So, on days when a block of time isn’t available, see if you can add in 10 minutes at lunch, a quick walk after dinner, or in between afterschool activities.

Want to learn more about physical exercise and the brain? Join us for our Digital Course, Six Keys to Unlocking Learning Potential: How optimizing brain health can improve thinking and learning skills. In this course we take a deep dive into all six keys, including movement. This course is coming August of 2022 and is available at the pre-release special price of $89.00 (regular rate $199.00)! 

Contact us to order today!

We offer individual and family health and wellness coaching for customized support to increase movement and the other keys to unlocking learning potential. Visit our integrated health and wellness coaching page for more information.

Research and References:

Know your Brain (2022). How Much Oxygen Does the Brain Use.

www.knowyourbrain.net/how-much-oxygen-does-the-brain-use/

Binder, D. K., & Scharfman, H. E. (2004). Brain-derived neurotrophic factor. Growth factors (Chur, Switzerland), 22(3), 123–131.

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2504526/

Dana Foundation (2019). How Does Exercise Affect the Brain?

www.dana.org/article/how-does-exercise-affect-the-brain/

BYU College of Life Sciences (2021). How Exercise Affects the Brain.

lifesciences.byu.edu/how-exercise-affects-your-brain

Rassovsky, Y., & Alfassi, T. (2019). Attention Improves During Physical Exercise in Individuals With ADHD. Frontiers in psychology, 9, 2747.

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6333702/

García-Suárez, P. C., Rentería, I., Plaisance, E. P., Moncada-Jiménez, J., & Jiménez-Maldonado, A. (2021). The effects of interval training on peripheral brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in young adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Scientific reports, 11(1), 8937.

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8076263/

Saint-Maurice, P., Troiano, R., Matthews, C., & Kraus, W. (2018). Moderate-to-Vigorous Physical Activity and All-Cause Mortality: Do Bouts Matter? Journal of the American Heart Association, 7: e007678.

www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/jaha.117.007678