Exercise Brain Growth (video)

Maximize Learning at School or Work!

Watch this video showing how exercise grows new brain cells.  See how exercise improves our mood, vigor, and productivity while it decreases tension, depression, aggression, and fatigue.  Exercise increases our capacity to learn by increasing attention, motivation and memory. At the cellular level it increases neurotransmitters (e.g., dopamine, serotonin, nor-epinephrin) and neurotrophins like BDNF (Miracle-Gro for the brain) which helps brain cells wire together needed to learn.  Exercise increases vascular flow providing more oxygen and glucose to the brain while helping remove cellular breakdown products.

Dr. John Ratey, clinical professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, author of SPARK answers many questions (e.g., how much to exercise, what kind of exercise works best, why obesity slows learning, how to slow cognitive decline, how the heart influences brain function, and much more).

Exercise and Improved Learning (video)

Brain science produces results!   Exercise is essential!

Dr. John Ratey, author of SPARK: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain, speaking to Steven Palkin on The Agenda TV program cites research and positive results of exercise on enhanced learning and effective remedy for attention deficit, aggression, mood disorders, anxiety, and depression. For a more complete discussion, listen to Dr. Ratey’s talk at Authors at Google.

Train Your Brain with Exercise

Make yourself smarter with aerobic workouts

Jean Lawrence writing for WebMD summarizes current research showing how exercise combats ADHD naturally, calms hyperactivity, grows new brain cells with added BDNF, releases pleasure chemicals key to memory and motivation, and helps remedy depression, fatigue and stress. Dr. John Ratey is quoted, “Exercise is really for the brain, not the body.” No wonder daily physical education in school is key to maximizing learning potential.

Super Charge Your Brain

Speed up brain impulses through repetitive body movements

Get wired! Become your own electrician laying down new elaborate body brain networks that connect sensory and motor neurons responsible for learning. Expand your neural networks and speed their electrical transmission through physical activities (e.g. talking, writing, drawing, dancing, socializing, playing musical instruments, acting, playing, engaging in sports, etc). All neural networks created through such movements are part of the circuitry regulating mood, boosting attention, heightening motivation, building academic performance skills, and extending memory.

Repetitive movements increase cellular voltage as positive and negative ions surge back and forth between communicating neurons. When the energy threshold is high enough to stimulate genetic expression, genes and chromosomes within the neuron’s cell body nucleus produce new molecules that boost cellular function. One master molecule created is BDNF, Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor, referred to as Miracle-Gro for the brain by Dr. John Ratey in his book SPARK, The New Revolutionary Science of Exercise and the Brain.

BDNF along with other Nerve Growth Factors grow new neurons, help extend neural networks and increase speed of transmission. Exercise produces and pumps more BDNF throughout the body brain to maximize growth. If you want to wire up… then fire up with exercise. You’ll have less mental static and faster neurons in your mental attic needed to excel! Insist on daily Physical Education focused on fitness to super charge your brain!

Bodies In Space

Whole brain, whole body Blog is wholly worthwhile

M. A. Greenstein offers insightful articles, podcasts and more on her inspired Bodies In Space Blog, focusing on global, whole-brain and whole body learning. Her Immersive Attention Change the Brain! article provides commentary on Dr. John Ratey’s book SPARK, a must read for people interested in the science of exercise.

Beyond the Mind-Body video of Dr. Jeffrey Schwartz is shown on her article titled, ‘Just how easy is it to change our brains (and our minds)’. Thank you Dr. G. for your GGGGreat Blog!

Physical Education and the Brain

Daily Movement and Exercise improves academic performance

Physical Education is redefining itself. Now that neuroscience has shown how movement and exercise enhances brain function, more physical educators are seeing themselves as key players in the current learning revolution spurred by brain research. Naperville Central High School has led the nation. Phil Lawler and Physical Educator Paul Zientarski have worked with Dr. John Ratey, author of SPARK – The New Revolutionary Science of Exercise and the Brain. They have created a daily program that has proven its effectiveness. Read the stories – then insist your schools offer daily Physical Education designed to boost body-brain fitness. Test scores, social-emotional health, physical well-being and motivation will rise.

Attend the 2009 DuPage PE-Heatlh-DrEd Institute in Naperville, Illinois on February 27, 2009 and hear Dr. Ratey, Bill Hubert, Jean Madigan Blaydes and others address these exciting changes. For more conference information visit DuPageInstitue

Jeff Haebig

Move and Learn with Exercise

Raise test scores and academic achievement with exercise!

Watch this video http://www.learningreadinesspe.com/ and see why students in Naperville, Illinois are benefiting from daily exercise. Harvard University's brain researcher Dr. John Ratey explains the neurobiology behind the body brain changes that are taking place. Be sure to read his sensational book, Spark -- the New Revolutionaly Science of Exercise and the Brain. It also explains why exercise is so effective preventing and treating anxiety and stress disorders, depression, ADD and ADHD, obesity, dementia, and cardiovascular disease. A must read!

Jeff Haebig