Topic 4: What Happens to Children When They Exercise Aerobically?
In 2008, Dr. John Ratey released the book Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain, which outlined all the benefits of exercise on the brain from learning, depression, anxiety, ADHD to dementia. Dr. Ratey wrote the book because of what happened in Naperville, Illinois in the early 2000’s. The truly remarkable story of Naperville starts with a humble PE teacher. Paul Zientarski, PE teacher by day, coach in the afternoon, relegated to the back of the room in teacher meetings, rocked Naperville High School’s traditional thinking with an aggressive aerobic based fitness program that brought dramatic results. With the program’s success, Coach Zientarski had turned old school learning on its head and delivered undeniable results that had teachers and administrators begging him for more.
Aerobic movement causes the release of Brain Derived Neurotropic Factor (BDNF) which acts like fertilizer for the brain. It makes brain cells ready to grow, change and build new pathways, literally increasing brain capacity. These chemicals in the brain increase the number of connections between neurons and increase the baseline of new neuron growth thereby improving cognition, memory and focus.
BDNF causes
- increase in white matter
- increase in gray matter
- improved cognition
- improved reaction
- improved processing
- better focus
- improved ability to filter distractions
- higher test scores