For those of you who see me have a quick change towards the end of the evening into my gym gear, will know that I am on an exercise regime and have been for nearly a year. I have always tried to look after myself – I watch what I eat and I try to keep my weight in check. I try to sleep around 7 hours each night and practice mindfulness on my early morning walks. However, after my husband was seriously ill, I decided to take exercise more seriously. I joined a gym and had a personal trainer. I don’t think he was prepared for what he had taken on!
The benefits, however, have been amazing. I have noticed that my mental health well-being has increased dramatically. I sleep better and my clothes fit better, even though I am more eating more than I have ever eaten, thanks to my personal trainer watching my diet through the myfitnesspal app.
My success has led me to read some articles on how exercise can boost brain function (I know it might be too late for me). What I found out was that there are numerous studies that inform us that moderate-intensity physical activity can lead to healthier brain activity, compared to those who exercise less. These studies have led to some schools in Scotland introducing daily physical running each day as part of the curriculum. In fact, in our school in Rhyl, our children, much to some dismay, have to either walk or run as part of their daily timetable.
According to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), children and adolescents should od 60 minutes (1 hour) or more of physical activity each day. That’s an awful lot I hear you say. The 60 minutes should include:
1. Moderate intensity aerobic exercise, such as a quick walk, but it should also include vigorous-intense activity, such as running 3 times a week.
2. Muscle strengthening activities such as gymnastics or pushups at least 3 days a week.
3. Bone-strengthening activity, such as skipping or running at least 3 days a week.
So why should we both? Here are a few reasons:
According to Mylea Charvat, Ph.D CEO founder of Savonix, aerobic exercise increases heart rate and increases blood flow to the brain. In turn this produces neutrons in certain parts of the brain that control memory and thinking and learning. It also increases neurotransmitters, which boosts information processing.
Numerous studies suggest that maintaining a healthy lifestyle provides academic advantages, with fit children outperforming obese pupils. In a study by Dr. David Jacobs, pupils who were most active in 1985 tended to still be fit decades later. They also performed better on cognitive tests. This data suggests that activity in early and mid-life ‘may produce protective cognitive effects across the lifespan’.
This seemed to be enough evidence to keep me on a treadmill! However, the evidence proves that you need a reference of different activities, a multi routine focusing on balance, flexibility and aerobic fitness.
I think it’s important for our students to see that exercise is brain food.
So come on, let’s get out there and go walking, running, swimming or biking. Studying is more important of course, but we must also make time to enjoy fresh air and get in touch with nature. There are so many benefits, both physical and mental!