I was attending a three day special education workshop and Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain was recommended to me. It provides undisputed evidence that exercise can improve student performance, especially special education students. This information was valuable and worth sharing at a time when recess, physical education and other programs are being eliminated for test preparation.
Exercise Can Improve Learning
The book was written by Dr. John J. Ratey (associate clinical professor of psychology at Harvard Medical School). It examines the relationship between exercise and brain. There is strong evidence that aerobic exercise physically transforms the brain to achieve peak performance in all areas. Dr. Ratey explains that exercise can improve learning in three ways: First, it improves attention and focus, and second, it encourages nerve cells to bind together, which is the basis for new information logging. Third, it stimulates the growth of nerve cells from stem cells found in the hippocampus. Exercise not only helps the brain prepare for learning, but also makes it easier to retain information.
This is what a suburban school district outside Chicago has done. Zero Hour is an early morning program that was developed by the Naperville, Illinois school district. It aims to see if students who exercise before school can improve their reading skills and other subjects. The district has seen amazing results in academic and wellness since introducing the Zero Hour program. Naperville’s goal was to teach children how to manage their health and fitness, a skill that has enormous long-term advantages. Research shows that students who are more fit have higher test scores. Exercise has a positive effect on memory, concentration, classroom behavior, and other aspects of learning.
Exercise Can Improve Students’ Mental Health
Dr. Raley’s research also showed that exercise is a great defense against many of the mental health problems that students face.
Stress
Students are subject to extreme stress both in school and in life. This includes peer pressure, work overload and high stakes testing. Exercise can reduce stress’s emotional and physical effects, as well as at the cellular level. Because it can prevent stress-related illnesses and even reverse them, physical activity is an effective way to avoid the negative effects. Studies show that people who exercise regularly are more confident and have better social skills.
Panic and Anxiety
Dr. Rate defines anxiety to be a natural response to a threat. However, worrying about a real threat to one’s health and functioning is not affected by anxiety. Panic is the most severe form of anxiety. I have seen panic attacks in my students during tests, cooperative learning situations, and sometimes from the pressures of school. Spark points out that aerobic exercise has been shown to significantly reduce anxiety symptoms in the majority of studies. People can learn to reduce anxiety and build confidence through exercise. Dr. Ratey explains that exercise can reroute the brain’s circuits and reduce muscle tension. This helps to create a new outcome for anxiety-provoking situations, which ultimately sets anxious people free from their worries.
Depression
Exercise is well-known to reduce depression symptoms. Research suggests that exercise can increase the feeling of well-being and endorphins in the brain. Dopamine is also increased by exercise, which can improve mood and increase attention span. Students who are depressed can benefit from moderate exercise for 30 minutes a day.
Combining both brain and body challenges is better than aerobic exercise alone. The technical nature of these sports activates brain areas that control balance, timing and sequencing, evaluating consequences and switching, error correction, switching, switching, inhibition and intense focus and concentration. Spark is a great resource for parents and teachers who are interested in the connection between exercise and brain health. There are many benefits to providing challenging fitness programs for students. Start slow, find social support, mix up activities and stick to a schedule are all good ways to improve brain and body health.
