By: Max Gall & Matt Earman Exercise & Learning By: Max Gall & Matt Earman

SPARK The Revolutionary New Science Of Exercise And The Brain. Written by, John J. Ratey, MD. Professor of psychiatry at Harvard.

“Exercise is the single most powerful tool to optimize your brain function”

Mind and Body Connection -Review of over 850 different studies of the effects of physical activity in school children found that exercise has a positive influence on memory, concentration and classroom behavior. Learning/Memory/ Cognition Stress Anxiety Addiction Depression ADHD Hormones Aging

“I tell people that going for a run is like taking a little bit of Prozac and Ritalin because, like the drugs, exercise elevates these neurotransmitters. Exercise balances neurotransmitters- along with the rest of the neurochemicals in the brain. Keeping your brain in balance can change your life.” Dr. John Ratey. Exercise, marijuana, and chocolate all activate the same receptors in the brain. “Runner’s High” Exercise increases levels of serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine — important neurotransmitters that traffic in thoughts and emotions. You’ve probably heard of serotonin, and maybe you know that a lack of it is associated with depression Toxic levels of stress erode the connections between the billions of nerve cells in the brain, or that chronic depression shrinks certain areas of the brain. The brain responds like muscles do, growing with use, withering with inactivity. The neurons in the brain connect to one another through “leaves” on treelike branches, and exercise causes those branches to grow and bloom with new buds, thus enhancing brain function at a fundamental level.

Class Activity Go Noodle Complete as many multiplication problems as possible n 2 ½ minutes. Go Noodle

Naperville Central High School Zero Hour Only 3 per cent of Naperville sophomores are obese vs the national average of over 30%. One of the first to move away from team sports to more lifetime fitness and team building. Uses heart rate monitors and other advanced technologies. A model school for physical fitness.

Other PE Facts A 2004 review of over 850 different studies of the effects of physical activity in school children found that exercise has a positive influence on memory, concentration and classroom behavior. It’s tragic that currently only 6% of US high schools offer daily PE. A Virginia Tech study showed cutting PE for more study time did not improve test scores. California Department of Education study shows that students with the higher fitness scores also have higher test scores in a five year span. Main correlation in BMI and aerobic fitness.

ADHD Exercise helps focus. Put hard classes right after PE. Has structure and organization in the classroom setting. Complex movement help improve behavior and preformance in school

A Duke University study from 1999 named SMILE showed that over time exercise has the same effect as Zoloft

Work Cited/ Additional Resources Ratey, J.J. (2008).Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain. New York, NY: Little, Brown and Company. Ormrod, Jeanne Ellis (2014) Essentials of Educational Psychology: Big Ideas to Guide Effective Teaching, 4th Edition, Pearson Publishing. TED Talk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hBSVZdTQmDs http://sparkinglife.org/page/why-exercise-works