Dancing Helps Parkinson’s Patients (video)

Mood and movement is enhanced!

Madeline Frank’s monthly musical newsletter featured an article by Janet Tu, in the Seattle Times citing ways dancing helps Parkinson’s patients. A video shows the Dance for Parkinson’s Project in Seattle sponsored by Evergreen Hospital. Body-brain networks are exercised and improved. Joy, creative expression and socializing resulting from the dance class is an “antidote to the depression and isolation that can come with Parkinson’s.”

Brain Science Podcasts

Everything we know about the brain!

Dr. Ginger Campbell on her website BrainSciencePodcast.com hosts over sixty free podcasts related to the brain and how it regulates our thoughts, feelings, behaviors, memory, motivation, and everything else about our lives.  Start with episode one and move through the sequence of pod casts until you learn the basics. This is a phenomenal resource thanks to Dr. Campbell.

Neuro Physical Education

Connecting brain science to gym class with upcoming videos

Neuro-education connects brain science to learning. Advances in brain imaging suggest how the body-brain learns best. Most striking is how movement and exercise is essential to attention, focus, learning skills, memory, and motivation. We will soon break this down, using video to shake, rattle n’ show how the body is integral to enhanced brain function.
Learning problems related to sensory and motor system development will receive special attention. Natural movement-based remedies for anxiety, depression, and excess stress will be featured as well.

Rather than talking about this, we will add ‘hip to lip’ making this science come alive with spirited movement. Our goal – helping people of all ages and learning styles achieve their vibrant living and learning potential joyously. Stay posted, interactive Body-BrainBoogie videos are soon to follow.

Why Exercise?

Reasons for exercising fails to include learning enhancement

AAOS, American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons suggest reasons for exercising. I enjoy the content on their website, however, the reasons for exercising provided in the brief article fails to include the impact of exercise on the brain… and how it enhances memory, motivation, attention, and boosts academic performance skills – the focus of this body brain enhancing Blog. Still the AAOS website is well worth your time, especially the safety guides citing ways to prevent muscle and joint injury.

Classical Music Expands My Mind

Boogie Along with the Music Movement Sequence

Madeline Frank http://www.madelinefrankviola.com/ offers a comprehensive monthly newsletter and radio broadcast citing current research showing how music enhances learning. I created an interactive movement sequence to the 1812 Overture demonstrating the music and brain connection. You can tap, tap, tap into this on http://www.madelinefrankviola.com/radio.php.

See if you can mimic the movements and echo the words... this will create a total brain activity involving the cerebellum, basal ganglia, pre-frontal and motor cortex. All of these brain areas and senses will be activated, boosting attention, focus, and motivation. Try it and see.

Jeff Haebig

Jeff Haebig teams with Body/brain Boogieman

Boost Brain Power with Exercise

Jeff Haebig and the Body/brain Boogieman team up, enlightening people about current neuroscientific research – then making this science come alive with simple and enjoyable movement sequences designed to boost attention, sharpen focus, strengthen memory, heighten motivation, and capture the joy of vibrant living and learning. Whether you sit back and watch or participate in the novel movements, you will get a leg-up on instant ways to calm and energize yourself naturally, plus handy ways to grow new brain cells and systems to maximize your living and learning potential. Humor and fun prevail in this insightful and delightful program!


Outcomes: All participants will…

Freely choose whether to watch or comfortably participate in the intriguing movement sequences.

Use fun gestures showing neurons, dendrites, genetic expression, axons, myelin, synapses, and neurochemicals – then showing how each is strengthened through specific movements and exercise.

Demonstrate how muscles produce and pump more good-feeling dopamine, the pleasure-reward super-learning chemical that boosts attention and heightens motivation ‘naturally’.

Relate Attention Deficit Disorder and Parkinson Disease to low-levels of dopamine.

Demonstrate how muscles produce and pump norepinephrine for brain arousal and heightened concentration... and more adrenaline the memory fixative.

Know how schools, worksites, and homes can become body/brain friendly, encouraging frequent movement and exercise needed to maximize people’s life-long living and learning potential.


The Presenters:

Jeff Haebig, Ph.D. is founder and president of Wellness Quest, a company specializing in health promotion since 1984. He has co-authored and published 8 wellness books in the Health Care-toons and Toon Ups! series, as well as booklets, audiotapes, videos and DVDs in the areas of self-esteem, tobacco prevention, and body/brain-enhanced teaching and learning. His interactive http://www.wellnessquest.com/ website offers free Health Care-toons, wellness challenges, jokes and inspirational quotes each day. His wellness Quest for Your Best! motivational program inspires individuals, families and groups to pursue higher levels of well-being.

After 31 years as a physical education and health teacher in Rochester Minnesota, Dr. Haebig travels extensively stimulating interest in whole body/brain-enhancing practices spurred by neuroresearch. A champion in public speaking, his specialty is audience involvement, blending humor, excitement, and skill building, while maintaining audience comfort.

Body/brain Boogieman, is recognized internationally for his intriguing ways of adding ‘hip’ to ‘lip’ service, rock n’ role-modeling practical ways of inspiriting learning through sensory-motor stimulation. Standing along side Jeff Haebig, the ‘Boogieman’ invites people to enjoy the magical wonder-workings of their body/brain.