The Link Between Learning & Movement

What does “learning” look like? If you close your eyes and imagine it, you might picture seated students in classrooms, quietly studying books. We tend to associate learning with schools, and the contemporary model of schools, especially in Australia, as one of discipline, focus, and quiet. Kids as young as six years old in first grade are now spending up to seven hours a day sitting stationary at a desk, and that practice continues into high school, college, and then often into adulthood at an office desk. This behaviour has been increasing outside of school hours too with more children playing video games for extended periods of time.

It’s a common misconception that focus and motion are mutually exclusive. We all want to learn more, and learn better, but more research is showing that kids need to move and play more at school, even if it might sound counterproductive. It turns out that movement is more linked to learning than stationary work is, and our brains do best when our bodies are involved. Understanding the link between the mind and body is critical to boosting productivity and better learning—for adults as well as kids. We reached out to a local startup company Zen Space Desks to learn a bit more about the detriments of prolonged sitting, and also to investigate the links between learning and movement.

The Mind And Body Link

The mind and body share a powerful link. Most neuroscientists agree that movement is linked to cognition, and that exercise builds brainpower. The cerebral cortex of the brain is responsible for higher thought, memory, among other critical tasks. It processes sensory inputs and includes a complex network of connections to facilitate general functioning. Almost everything we do passes through the cortex, from playing basketball to engaging in philosophical debate.

Both physical motor skills and mental intellectual function have their roots in the cerebral cortex. When you strengthen the cortex by strengthening your body, you are also simultaneously building overall brainpower.

Exercise Your Brain

Our brains need oxygen and blood flow just like the rest of our bodies, so anything we do to increase the oxygen and blood flow supplies to our brain is encouraging cognitive function. This connection supports the intuitive connection and the growing body of research that movement is linked to learning. Physical activity is a simple way to increase blood flow and oxygen to our brains. Some studies show that people who exercise have much greater cortical mass, or brain tissue, in the cerebral cortex region, than people who don’t. In other studies, lab rats that exercised had more capillaries around brain neurons than rats who remained sedentary.

It would probably be distracting to do jumping jacks while studying, so what is the best way to exercise while learning? Staying fit and exercising outside of school or work will help keep your body and brain in good shape for Taking breaks to go for walks is another good option, which increases heart rate and EEG activity. But when at work or school, even just standing up and stretching can raise your heart rate  in meaningful ways.

Though it may seem counter-intuitive, if you want to improve focus and facilitate learning, the answer is to sit still less, not more. Now that you’ve finished reading this article about building brainpower, why not stand up and stretch to let it really sink in?

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