Get Moving
Introduction
Imagine a situation in which, instead of studying flashcards for 15 more minutes, you go for a walk or jump rope… and score higher on the test. Seem crazy? Maybe not. We all have a pretty good understanding that exercise is healthy for us. By this point, you probably grasp many of the physical changes exercise can have on your body, including decreased fat, increased muscle, more energy, and healthier hearts and lungs. What you may not be as aware of, though, is the impact exercise can have on your brain and thus your school performance, too! The results of exercise, or simply moving more, on the brain are staggering.
Watch
- Exercise and the Brain- Animated Book Summary of Spark: https://goo.gl/ZcNnsY Links to an external site. (4:23)
- John Ratey, MD on Exercise in Schools https://goo.gl/KrXSbL Links to an external site. (10:43)
Visit
- Book Listing – Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain : https://goo.gl/ZhKbMV Links to an external site.
- Summary of Spark: https://goo.gl/xrEXxU Links to an external site.
- Why Exercise is Wise: https://goo.gl/HxzGfZ Links to an external site.
- Netflix Exercise: https://goo.gl/51auHd Links to an external site.
Key Ideas
- Exercise turns on our brain’s CEO, the prefrontal cortex, in charge of all of our higher level functioning. It improves planning & organization, impulse control, decision making, learning, memory, and focus.
- Exercise also floods our brains with chemicals that improve mood, focus, motivation, memory, and plasticity (see: growth mindset)
- The World Health Organization recommends 60 minutes of daily activity for teens. However, don’t set a goal of 60 or bust! Just moving more tomorrow than you do today will improve your brain function.
Apply
- Make movement work for you. Make a list of the kinds of exercises you enjoy and brainstorm ways you can build more of each into your day or week.
- Decide if you like exercising alone or with friends. Exercise can provide valuable “me time” alone, or allow you to socialize at the same time, depending on your preferences.
- Exercise doesn’t always have to mean an hour at the gym. Squeezing in five minutes of walking here, a few jumping jacks there, and choosing the flight of stairs instead of the elevator all pay off!
- Don’t start too big too fast; you may get frustrated and give up altogether. Get a baseline for how much movement you are getting in a day/week now and make small, gradual increases.
- Keep a log. You can find smart phone app’s, websites, and other devices to “log your exercise,” but a plain old notebook will do.