Did you know exercise increases physical activity plus positively influences your learning, concentration, memory, mood and behavior?
Dr John Ratey, Professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School states ?Exercise positively affects learning in many different way such a as helping make the learner get ready to learn by stimulating the brain cells, decreases stress levels and allows the individual to try things that they may not have not tried.?
Dr. Christine Carter, Sociologist at?UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center writes ?athletics and intellectual prowess-and even creativity-go hand and hand. ?
The research shows:
Kids:
? increasing kids’ physical activity has positive influences on their concentration, memory, and classroom behavior.
? Having kids move around-not even breaking a sweat-can enhance their intelligence, creativity, concentration, and their planning skills.
? Increasing exercise (and resulting higher levels of aerobic fitness) seems to increase kids academic performance, standardized test scores-even kids’ grades (2010 Carter and 2007 Castelli, Hillman, Buck, and Erwin)
? children who are fit also tend to be better at multitasking and performing difficult mental tasks than unfit friends
Elderly:
? older people cut their risk for general dementia in half by exercising, and the odds they’ll get Alzheimer’s by 60 percent.
? walking or cycling regularly for between six months to a year can improve memory and problem solving skills in the elderly by between 15 and 20 per cent
All ages:
? exercise is one of the best ways we know of to cope with the pressures and anxieties of modern life; it slows the physical and mental toll that stress can take on our bodies
? exercise is as effective as drugs for treating depression (Duke University study)
? exercise “may very well be the most effective instant happiness booster of all activities” says Happiness expert Sonja Lybermirsky
Dr. Carter explains how it works ??Exercise affects the brain by building neural connections in the parts of the brain responsible for memory and “executive function,” the brain regions that help kids plan and direct their action. They need this in school to control their impulses, organize their homework, and then, of course, to get their work done.?
Let?s all get exercising!!! It will help all of us to perform better. Our children will improve their performance at school and home, we will improve our work performance, and it will help our elderly to combat memory loss.
