Exercise + Brain Boosting
One thing that scientists all agree on is that our brains are flexible – both plastic and elastic! It is an organ that can be shaped and molded - similar to how our muscles can be sculpted by lifting weights. According to Dr. John Ratey, author of Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Education and the Brain, exercise is “Miracle Grow” for the brain.
Put simply, exercise can be an amazing “neurosculptor”. It balances the parts of our brains that we need for proper brain function and learning. For students with ADHD, studies have shown that exercise helps improve attention, sharpen social skills, and allows students to learn more effectively.
Below are some fun and simple ways for your student to “wake up” their brains with physical activity.
Toe Wiggling. A great and easy one for coordination! In the morning before getting out of bed, have your child slowly begin to move all their toes on both feet back and forth, and then move just the two big toes.
Get Moving. I often start sessions with a few jumping jacks, just to get things going. Other simple exercises include sitting and touching your right elbow to your left knee and repeating several times on each side. We often do “windmills” by standing with feet spread apart and alternate between touching our left feet with our right hand and vice-versa.
Hula Hoop. A few rounds of hula hooping are a great way to build kids’ core strength, coordination and balance. Check out The Inspired Treehouse at www.theinspiredtreehouse.com for some fun and creative hula-hoop games.
Jump, jump! Who doesn’t love bouncing on a trampoline? Not only is trampoline jumping a great cardiovascular workout, it improves brain function. Our brains function bilaterally when a jumper is in the air, which helps develop motor skills. Since most people don’t have full-sized trampolines, smaller trampolines called rebounders are a great alternative.
Bend Like a Pretzel. Yoga has tremendous brain-building benefits for kids. Among other benefits, yoga helps develop gross motor skills that help with attention and focus, and also promotes relaxation. Yoga practice has been shown to help students still in class, focus on a test or story, and even organize the brain for problem solving.