How Movement Helps the Brain
Have you ever noticed the days that you don’t get your body moving your memory isn’t so great? Maybe you sit down to write and just stare at the blinking cursor? What’s that about? Let me tell you something: Movement and cognition are powerfully connected. Let’s explore how- like you need another reason to move that beautiful body!?
Does movement affect learning? The cerebellum is the area of the brain most associated with motor control. It’s apparently packed with neurons and nerve fibers. This area influences the rest of the brain. The same part of the brain that processes movement processes learning. Over half of US high school students are not participating in daily physical education. This is alarming, “Because in the same way that exercise shapes up the muscles, heart, lungs, and bones, it also strengthens the basal ganglia, cerebellum, and corpus callosum—all key areas of the brain,” says Eric Jensen of ASCD.org. He goes on to report, “We know exercise fuels the brain with oxygen, but it also feeds it neurotropins (high-nutrient chemical “packages”) to increase the number of connections between neurons.” Guess you better go run around the block before you start that SUDUKO, sister!
Does movement affect mood? You may have read my husband’s story on how movement saved his life, (LINK TO ANDY’S POST!) but it’s not just his story. Exercise can improve mood disorders to such a degree, it can be as effective as medication and psychotherapies. Feel blue? Gimme 50 burpees! “Regular exercise such as cycling or gym-based aerobic, resistance, flexibility, and balance exercises can also reduce depressive symptoms,” says Srini Pillay, MD and contributor to Harvard Health. Pillay goes on to state that there is an intimate connection between mind and body, and that the way you move affects the way you think and feel. Do you know my dog trainer said the exact same thing about training my dog! Specifically, she said, “Mind follows body. Get your dog to move her body in order to move her mind.”
And does dancing count? Boy does it! Dance is much more than exercise and body movement when it comes to it’s effect on the brain. “Dance is the kind of exercise that requires the brain to do what it does when it is involved in any activity at all. It does not simply oxygenate the brain and enable the creation of connections; it challenges neurons to make new connections. It does not just spur the grown of new and better brain cells, it puts them to use, creating patterns of sensation and response that form the basis of all of our patterns of attention and action,” says Kimerer LaMothe of Psychology Today. She makes a strong argument for dance as the regular movement of choice. Grab you controllers kids, Mama wants to play Just Dance again!
Does play affect the brain? An even better question might be, “Can play help me survive?” An interesting study in Juneau, Alaska reported that play behavior of young bears was linked to healthier lives, more offspring and their longevity. Chris Kresser describes how play is connected with enhancing quality of life and survival. Some of these qualities include: creativity, productivity, flexibility, optimism, empathy, altruism, cooperation, problem solving, and stress management. Kresser shares that “Play is essential for the growth and development of a healthy, fully functional brain. The brain health benefits of play don’t stop in children; in adults, play keeps the brain sharp and reduces stress. These effects may help stave off dementia, which could have a huge impact in the last 10 years of your life.”
Ultimately, evidence all points to movement being a crucial part of the health of your brain. This brain and body link is not a surprise, but the depth of the lasting effects of movement on that organ inside your skull is unquestionable. We have to get moving for our own longevity and an enhanced quality of life. Figure out ways to incorporate movement, dance, play, and any physical activity you can dream up into your day. Enjoy it! Your brain will thank you, for LIFE!
