Activity and the Brain

1. Activity and the Brain By Aaron Konitzer

2. Main things discussed in the powerpoint • How physical activity affects the brain • Potential Benefits from physical activity on the brain • Improve academically • Improve mood • Ways to get kids active

3. How Physical Activity Affects the Brain • Both Cognitive and motor skills develop • Some physiological changes to brain are: • Cerebral capillary growth • Blood flow increase • Development of nerve connections • These can be associated with: • Improved attention • Improved information processing, storage, and retrieval • Enhanced coping • Source: http://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/health_and_academics/pdf/pa-pe_paper.pdf

4. Links between Physical Activity and Brain Activity • Excerpts from Spark, by Dr. John Rately • Exercise improves learning on three levels: “first, it optimizes your mind-set to improve alertness, attention, and motivation; second, it prepares and encourages nerve cells to bind to one another, which is the cellular basis for logging in new information; and third, it spurs the development of new nerve cells from stem cells in the hippocampus.” (p.53)

5. Links between Physical Activity and Brain activity Continued • Excerpts from Spark, by Dr. John Ratey • “It turns out that moving our muscles produces proteins that travel through the bloodstream and into the brain, where they play pivotal roles in the mechanisms of our highest thought processes.” (p.5) • In a 2007 study of humans, German researchers found that people learn vocabulary words 20 percent faster following exercise than they did before exercise, and that the rate of learning correlated directly with the levels of Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF). (p. 45)

6. Brain Activity after Exercise Red color is shows increased brain activity after 20 minutes of moderate physical activity (Source: AISD)

7. Exercise Improves Mood • People who exercise are less likely to suffer from depressive symptoms • Exact reasoning is not understood yet • Possibly replenishes serotonin • “feel good” chemical in the brain • Source: Fitness Republic

8. Ways to get Kids active • Physical Education • Make fitness fun • Encourage students to walk • Encourage some competition • Don’t be too strict about an active life style • Source: Raise Smart Kids

9. In Conclusion • Physical Education promotes physical activity, which improves brain function • Improved brain function helps increase academic achievement • Also improves mood • Improved mood lowers behavioral problems in the school

10. Works Cited • "The Association Between School-Based Physical Activity, Including Physical Education, and Academic Performance." Centers for disease control. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, July. Web. 7 Dec 2011. <http://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/health_and_academics/pdf/pa-pe_paper.pdf>. • Ratey, John J., Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain. Little, Brown and Company. New York: 2008. • Fitness Republic • http://www.fitnessrepublic.com/fitness/general-fitness/active-bodies-healthy-brains-exercise-develops-more-your-muscles.html • Raise Smart Kids • http://www.raisesmartkid.com/3-to-6-years-old/4-articles/35-the-benefits-of-exercise-on-your-kids-brain • AISD Physical Education and Health • http://www.austinschools.org/curriculum/pe_health/resources/BrainBreaks/index.html