Movement and the brain are interlinked. Physical movement such as walking, running, playing sports, and exercise in general is good for the Brain. Not only is it good, it’s GREAT. So why is it that when schools cut budgets the first thing to go is Physical Education?

According to the Brain Gym® International website, their 20+ years of reporting from teachers and students has shown that simple movement activities lead to dramatic improvements in the following areas:

• Concentration and Focus
• Memory
• Academics: reading, writing, math, test taking
• Physical coordination
• Relationships
• Self-responsibility
• Organization skills
• Attitude

and more…

The Brain Gym® is a trademark of the Educational Kinesiology Foundation in Ventura, California and encompasses a whole host of movements, programs and materials that are designed for people of all ages from children to seniors.

The original 26 movements were created by educator and reading specialist Paul E. Dennison and his wife Gail E. Dennison. Since then the program has grown and is available to schools and individuals through instructors, presentations and books.

Once the basic material is learned, it can be used by anyone at any time or place. It works great as a way to break up the day and refresh and recharge the brain. I was fortunate to have a licensed instructor run us through some exercises at a conference a few years ago and I can say that it really recharged the group. If you’ve sat through an all-day conference before you understand what I mean.

The best part is the exercises can be done in a classroom (or at home) in a few minutes and will effectively boost the brains and spirits of the kids. If we’re taking away Physical Education we should at the very least replace it with something that will physically help the brain with learning.

To get a better idea of what the Brain Gym® is all about, visit their website at: www.BrainGym.org

Parents and Teachers can also find dozens of Brain Gym Materials at Amazon.