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Benefits of Movement during the School Day

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Benefits of Movement during the School Day

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If you need some ideas on how you can add in movement breaks into your child's day, check this out for some ideas.

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Synopsis

Regularly-scheduled movement breaks throughout the day and movement used within and between lessons results in better-behaved, more engaged students who can more easily focus on and retain what they are supposed to be learning.

Movement has been shown by educational, cognitive, psychological, medical, and behavioral research to be one of the best ways to get all children - neurotypical and neurodiverse (special needs) children alike - to gain control over their behavior and to engage with and retain what is being taught to them. When you look at the research around movement and productivity/engagement - for children of all ages and a variety of learning styles -- what is truly shocking is that every school does not already schedule movement into the school day and incorporate movement into school lessons.

If you read my last post, on the ever-growing Need for Inclusion Schools you'll already be familiar with my argument for why Special Needs children and typical children all benefit from being in classrooms together, and how regular movement in those classrooms can help facilitate this inclusion. Regularly-scheduled movement breaks throughout the day and movement used within and between lessons, help all children (both neurotypical and neurodiverse) regulate themselves, which leads to better-behaved, more engaged students who can more easily focus on and retain information from their lessons.

Most schools not only ignore the latest research on best teaching practices, but the teacher-centric, "sit still and listen" method of teaching still employed is one of the main reasons so many neurodiverse children are not able to be in regular schools to begin with, why so many children are said to have "behavioral problems" in schools in general, and why so many school children are being diagnosed with ADHD. It seems that the problem is less with the children, and more with the way schools are typically organized and run. Schools need to change with the times, become more flexible, more relevant, and more engaging, so that all students can connect with and learn from the material presented to them more effectively.

Regular movement has been shown to increase focus and retention in children and adults of all ages. Movement also helps all children regulate (ie, adjust their energy), and it therefore has been shown to lower rates of behavioral problems such as fighting and bullying. Many "behavioral problems" in schools today would be eased, and diagnoses would be fewer, if more movement was incorporated into every aspect of school.

There is no better time than the present to advocate for this change in schools. Every day, there is a new article highlighting research which shows how bad sitting for long periods of time is, not only for productivity, but for overall health. A recent article even cites an endocrinologist at the Mayo Clinic as saying, "If you've been sitting for an hour, you've been sitting for too long." And yet, in all these articles that go on about treadmill desks, standing desks, fitness bands, fitness trackers, and about the physical, emotional and mental problems that arise from sitting, there is no mention of how this issue concerns children and schools." This needs to change.

If children are being forced to sit still in school for 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, year after year, for fear of punishment, suspension, expulsion, and psychological diagnoses if they actually do need to move, then how on earth do we expect them to have healthy, active lifestyles when they become adults?! How is this transformation supposed to happen? Wouldn't it make a lot more sense to institute healthy active policies into school so that all children grow up with the habits that not only help them learn best, but also help them become healthy, active adults?

For many years now, Finnish schools have understood the importance of incorporating regular movement into the school day, and approach it in a variety of ways. Most Finnish schools provide 15 minutes of recess for every 45 minutes of instruction. Researchers say this accounts for part of their ongoing academic successes. During the same time period, US and UK schools have, alternatively, reduced the amount of movement and recess time or break time that they offer primary school students, and students' performance has suffered accordingly.

Individual teachers and schools can make a big difference in their students' lives by incorporating movement into the lessons, classrooms, and/or school day. It also helps, of course, if school policies support their efforts. An emphasis on regular breaks for movement should be incorporated into EVERY classroom, into every lesson, and be made an important part of overall school policy. US schools are slowly starting to respect the need for recess and movement. Whether implementing school-wide movement breaks or recess, introducing movement breaks between lessons, or even incorporating movement into the lessons themselves, schools are slowly realizing how beneficial movement is to boosting academic performance and to regulating behavior and attention.

Schools don't need extra space and they don't need special instructors in order to do this. They mostly need to change their mindset and accept that movement is beneficial. Movement breaks can be included between lessons very easily. Teachers can reduce the amount of instruction time per lesson from 40 to 30 minutes, and then use the remaining 10 minutes for movement breaks, so that children are clear and focused before the next lesson begins. There are a number of movement-in-school programs that train teachers with moves for calming or invigorating students (whichever is needed at the time). There are also instructional podcasts, apps, and DVDs that can be purchased by a school in order to give teachers some ideas on what moves to give their students at what times. However, basic jumping jacks, running in place, and some stretches behind the desk are also very effective in helping students get the movement their bodies and brains need in order to perform at their very best.

The movement breaks cause a win-win situation, because the children are getting some exercise and regulation and, in addition, the shorter lessons are more easily remembered. The movement itself also helps children focus and retain more information from the lesson. Therefore, having 30 minute lessons plus 10 minutes of movement in between them, means a happier, more engaged student body, as well as students who will retain more information over the course of the day than would be retained from regular 40 minute lessons. More time teaching is not always better, especially if the lesson is not being absorbed and retained.

Other schools are incorporating movement into the actual lesson plans because they have found that the lessons that students understand deepest and retain longest are those lessons which incorporate movement. Whether it is using your own feet as a source of measurement, role playing a fight between the Aztecs and the Conquistadores, or having students circle and crash into one another to physically demonstrate how atomic particles behave during fission and fusion, students are more engaged and have better retention of subject matter when they are physically active during the lessons. The New Jersey Education Alliance, for example, prepared informational booklets and a website to give examples of movement-based lessons. They emphasize that "Students often learn better by doing."

The benefits of incorporating movement in lessons is supported further by research currently being done in "embodied cognition", in the field of Educational Technology. It shows that children, especially when they are young or if the material is difficult, can better understand concepts when they use movement to physically act out the concepts. Researchers at Columbia University show that embodied cognition makes abstract concepts more tangible. It "allows the learner to develop a "feel" for the concept being described, a physical sense that is more comprehensible and compelling than a concept that remains an abstract mental entity."

Still other schools are recognizing the benefits of giving the entire school 30 minutes or more of movement per day, either in the school gym or playground or even in a local park. The principal of a progressive inclusion school in Upper Manhattan, NYC, guides children through a series of warm ups and supervises Free Play every morning and afternoon in their school gym. She says it helps all the children, special needs and typical children alike, with both behavior and attention. Studies show that Recess, or Free Play (movement activities where children direct their own activities and are not directed by adults) is incredibly important to children's development of executive functioning and coping skills they will need in order to be successful adults, such as negotiating, planning, and coordinating with peers, and making decisions on their. These type of skills build independence and confidence, which greatly help with long-term success in life. Yet, studies show that the amount of Free Play in most American children's lives has declined tremendously over the past few decades, with many teachers restricting free play even further as a "punishment" for children with behavior problems, which of course, only increases their behavior problems. Researchers attribute many problems - including increases in children's behavior problems, anxiety, depression, and other psychopathologies, over that same time period - to the decline in free play.

A school district in Milwaukee, for example, brought back previously-cut phys ed classes 3 days a week this past year, in order to improve attendance records, boost academic achievement, and to increase student and parent engagement in schools. They found that kids came to school more often when they knew they'd have physical education that day, while recitals and sporting events brought parents into the school more often, making them more engaged in their children's learning. The trial was so successful, the school district will be offering physical education every day next year.

Movement benefits students' work and behavior in school, their understanding of difficult concepts, their retention of learned information, and their lifelong health and well-being. Movement is one of the most beneficial ways for ALL children to engage with and retain the information they are being taught in school. It makes lessons more engaging and memorable, it helps students focus, it regulates student behavior, it helps foster inclusive environments for all children, and it makes children want to come to school every day.

Keeping children active, engaged, and healthy, in the environment where they spend the majority of their waking hours, should be a top priority for all schools. Luckily, regular movement does not require a lot of space, a lot of time, nor a lot of money to implement. It mostly requires a change in teacher and school attitudes so that children's need for movement is not perceived as a negative.

Tags: adhd, autism, education innovation, education sector, education standards, focused attention, movement, neurodiverse, nina fiore, physical activity, playtime, recess, special needs

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Regularly-scheduled movement breaks throughout the day and movement used within and between lessons results in better-behaved, more engaged students who can more easily focus on and retain what they are supposed to be learning.

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For parents and kids, check out this fun video on taking care of your body while at the computer.

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Do you or your kiddos sit a lot during the day - working on the computer, reading, completing school work, etc? Check out this article chuck full of great ideas so that you DON'T JUST SIT THERE!

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If you're like me, you're probably hunched over your desk straining to read this article after staring at a bright computer screen all day.
If you're like me, you need to shape up - literally.
Yes, my slothlike posture, screen addiction and overall lack of movement throughout a regular workday is a big drain on my physical and mental well-being.

"The human body just doesn't perform well when it's sitting for a copious amount of time," said biomechanist Katy Bowman in a phone interview with The Penny Hoarder.

Even though I hit the gym almost every day for a couple hours, it's not enough to keep my joints, spine and cardiovascular system in tip-top shape when I'm on my keister for the rest of the day.

"There's a tremendous amount of research you can't exercise off sedentarism," Bowman said.

But I have good news for myself and you loyal readers: You're only a few small tweaks away from living a healthier and less sedentary lifestyle without sacrificing productivity at work. And Bowman, author of " Don't Just Sit There ," has boiled it down to a simple, easy-to-remember acronym: S.W.I.T.C.H.

Staying Active at Work Is Easy With S.W.I.T.C.H.

I'm an unabashed desk jockey.

Even though we have cool beanbags, colorful couches and all sorts of comfy spaces to chill out at The Penny Hoarder HQ, I work better at my desk.

And that's fine because Bowman's method to introduce movement into an otherwise sedentary day doesn't mean completely ditching the desk. Here are six simple ways you can introduce more movement into your day without losing productivity.

Stand More and Sit Better

I never thought about how I sit.

But according to Bowman, most of us collapse into the same position over and over, putting loads of pressure on the lower spine, sacroiliac joint and other hot spots on our precious skeletons. That pain in your tailbone might actually be from sitting the wrong way.

Let your core take some pressure off your spine by sitting at the front edge of your chair with a straight back - you want to tilt your pelvis forward. Sitting on a rolled-up towel can help. Seriously, it feels weird at first, but you'll start noticing a difference right away.

Also, take advantage of different areas of your office, and try to sit in different positions on different surfaces. For example, I tried lying prone on a beanbag for a half-hour, then sat cross-legged on the floor. Being able to rise easily from the floor is a good predictor of a longer, healthier life .

A standing desk is nice, but following these guidelines should have you on track to tackle that sedentary office life.
"You can still sit, just sit differently," Bowman said.
Walk for 3 Minutes Every Half-Hour

You know that meeting coming up that you know will drag for 30 minutes longer than necessary? Pitch a standing meeting or even a walking meeting instead.

One, there's a good chance everyone will get to the point, and you can get back to real work. And two, it'll help keep up with Bowman's guidance of walking three minutes every half-hour.

A 2016 study in the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity found that a few minutes of walking around improved mood, lessened fatigue and even reduced food cravings.

I found that last one to be true, as I ate 67% fewer mini cheese wheels and half the number of pretzels, plus managed to avoid the bags of popcorn that turn the floor of my work area into a butter winter wonderland.

"And longer walks can boost creativity," Bowman said. But most importantly, it gets you moving and improves your cardiovascular system.

Interval-Train the Eyes

You should take a break from the computer screen, well, when you're done reading this article, of course.

When you focus on something close to your face, it's like flexing. And if you're like me, you might get lost in work for a good three hours.

"It's like working your biceps by holding a 20-pound weight in a fully flexed position for three hours," Bowman said.

Relax those peepers by looking away from your computer and focusing on something far away, like a building outside your window or at Carol across the office. Yeah, Carol, I know it was you who grabbed my lunch out of the fridge yesterday.

Do this for a glance every five minutes and a longer gaze every half-hour.

Train the Feet With Texture

OK, this one sounds kind of weird, but stay with Bowman here.

"Most of the surfaces you walk over are artificially flat and level," she said. "But your ankles and the 33 joints in each foot require a lot of diversity underfoot to get all that movement in."

True, especially here in Florida, where the closest thing we have to a hill is in a parking garage. And it's even worse if you wear heels, Bowman said.

Kick off the shoes or heels, and use a pebble mat at your standing desk. Shift your weight and move around on it every now and then. A squishy, uneven surface works as well. I used a yoga mat and nobody looked at me weird, and it definitely felt like I was working joints I never knew I had in my feet.

Calf Stretches Throughout the Day

Calf stretches can keep your blood flowing when you've been sitting most of the day, Bowman said. And she's got a few simple ones to keep your mobility up in the office.

Place that rolled-up towel I mentioned before on the ground next to your desk and stand up (come on, you can do it). Now put the ball of your foot on the top of the towel while keeping your heel on the floor. Keep that leg straight and step forward with your other foot and hold for a few seconds. Now repeat with the other side.

To hit the other muscle in your calf, the soleus, start the same stretch as before, but bend the knee slightly forward.

Want more specific exercises like this for the office? Click here for five big stretches that can transform your work life.

Hang From a Door Jamb

Turn those mouse hands into monkey arms.

You can increase and preserve the mobility in your shoulders by simply hanging from a door jamb for a few 30-second intervals each day. Grip strength, which has been declining , is also bolstered by holding your body up a few times a day, Bowman said.

"It's almost like a use-it-or-lose-it situation," Bowman said.

This is something I've been doing for a while at the gym but never thought to incorporate into my daily routine. Even just reaching up and touching the doorway for 30 seconds can help preserve that mobility.

Here Are Some Ways to Remember to Stay Active at Work

Bowman is a big fan of Post-it notes (as am I) and recommends leaving little reminders to get up, look away from your screen or grab the doorway on your computer.
"Those visual prompts are helpful," she said.
is a free app that will remind you to take a break when you get sucked into a project.

And my personal favorite is to ask one of your colleagues to be your accountability buddy for some of these tips. When you forget to take a walk, Carol will be right there to guilt you into doing so.

Thank you, Carol.

Alex Mahadevan is a data journalist at The Penny Hoarder. He swears he's going to try yoga one of these days. Until then, you can catch him hanging from his executive editor's office door. (Sorry, Lexi.)

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6 Easy Ways for Desk Jockeys to Stay Fit - and Still Get Their Work Done

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If you're like me, you're probably hunched over your desk straining to read this article after staring at a bright computer screen all day. If you're like me, you need to shape up - literally. Yes, my slothlike posture, screen addiction and overall lack of movement throughout a regular workday is a big drain on my physical and mental well-being.

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Came across this great article, too. Maybe you and your kids enjoy figit spinners. What about using things out in nature that little and big hands can figit with? Check out this article....

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About the Author

Part biomechanist, part science communicator, and full-time mover, Katy Bowman has educated hundreds of thousands of people on the role that movement plays in the body and in the world through live classes, best-selling books, and an award-winning podcast. Blending a scientific approach with straight talk about sensible, whole-life movement solutions, Katy also volunteers her time by providing movement courses across widely varying demographics and working with non-profits promoting nature education. She spends as much time as possible outdoors.

Just as nature seems to be an essential input (a nutrient), movement, too, is essential to humans. As a biomechanist studying human movement and how it relates to health and human development, I work to break down all the ways movement moves us-the elements of movement. Just as a diet includes the need for a range of macro and micronutrients, a movement diet requires all parts of the body be moved in various ways. Without well-distributed movements, parts of us can have a movement-nutrition deficiency. A good example of this is our underused hands.

Compared to other parts, hands are extremely complex in anatomy that facilitates diverse movements. From subtle movements at the skin and nerve level, to the numerous joints and muscles that facilitate fine motor skills, and the large-force grasping and hanging motions we have the potential to do, hands are built to facilitate quite a range of motion. But these days, the bulk of our hand-movement experiences are primarily comprised of writing with one hand, typing, and swiping. It's no wonder children gravitated this year toward something to keep their under-moved hands stimulated.

Fidget spinners, like a candy bar, are instant nourishment for starving hands.

My son will have me say here that fidget spinners are great. The other day, he created wind by fidget-spinning next to a candle flame. This became experiments in fluid dynamics, which opened discussions on phenomenon like weather and the invisible yet tangible forces of nature. Fidget spinners also offer balance practice, observation and response, and sensory stimulation. But while the fidget spinner provides these nutrients, it's providing them in the most basic way-the way a candy bar meets our hunger signals. A candy bar can shut off a hunger signal while still being nutritionally meager compared to other options.

We live in a culture where human-wilderness interactions and nature knowledge are at an all-time low, grip strengths are declining, sedentarism is increasing, but the benefits to moving in nature are understood.

What if we thought of a fidget spinner as what it could possibly be: a sort of "junk food" for the hands? And if fidget spinners are simply an easy way to turn off the signals of movement and engagement "hunger" the body creates to naturally prompt us out get out and explore and engage with the natural world with our hands, is there a more nutritious way of meeting our need to fidget?

Nutrient-dense food is most often whole foods-minimally processed and look most similar to how they look at their source. Nutrient-dense movements are similar-they are movements humans have relied on throughout our history, movements that simultaneously provide us with shelter, food, clothing, and or anything else we need to successfully interact with the natural world around us. Nature's fidget spinners, then, could be those motions that not only require mindful movement of our hands and brain, but also deliver experiential knowledge of how nature works.

Nature's fidget spinners

The scientific method is the pursuit of understanding natural phenomenon, but the art of observing nature in, around, and beneath your hands is also a means of understanding it. Think of these natural tasks:

Catching and gently holding bugs

Selecting and picking good reeds for weaving

Weaving baskets and mats

Making yarn and knitting with it, making cordage

Picking flowers, arranging bouquets

Tossing helicopter seeds

Holding frogs

Feeding birds by hand

Digging in sand, mud

Planting (especially with sticks or other tools)

Gathering (nuts, berries, acorns, nettle)

Processing gathered food (cracking nuts, mashing with mortar pestle)

Climbing hills and trees

Each of these can sate the movement-hunger that makes a fidget spinner attractive, while also carrying a host of other movements and benefits with them, including experiential knowledge, skill, compassion, accomplishment, and a deepened and broadened connection with nature.

Just as we don't want our kids eating only junk food, we can also be mindful of the various "nutrients" found in movement. I can steer my kids away from junk food by providing them with a wide range of nutritious options, and similarly, we can also provide a wide array of nutritious movement options. This means regularly facilitating time in nature or green spaces, creating or finding hand-based tasks that facilitate interactions with the movements of the plants and animals we share the world with.

I've also found that I had to clue into my own behavior. I suspect another reason fidget spinners are so popular is that children are naturally incredible copycats, modeling constantly how the people around them are moving. When I cast a quick mechanical eye to it, the fidget spinner movement looks strikingly similar to the ten thousand swiping motions many of us make in front of children each day. Are we, in fact, training to our kids to swipe? (Note to self, another benefit of limiting device use during nature time is to not only cut down on the swiping modeling, but also to keep my own hands free for nature interactions!)

One of the wonderful things about a fidget spinner, compared to a more static toy, is that the spinner creates its own set of forces to which you must respond. A fidget spinner feels alive in your hands. But a spinner isn't alive and isn't a full substitute for the diverse sensations created by climbing a tree, gently cradling a wounded bird, feeling the unpredictable skitter of a salamander, the cunning breakaway of a grasshopper, or digging up a potato. We can learn so much about physics, nature, and how we fit into the world around us by feeling how other animals move, and how animals and plants can move us right back.

As the Year of the Fidget Spinner draws to a close, I agree with my son, as we wind up a few hours in nature with a bout of candle-side fidget spinning.

"Fidget spinners are great. But an ant crawling in your hand? That's simply miraculous."

Photo credits: Katy Bowman and Jess Haugen More reading and resources COMING TO OUR 30 SENSES: In an era of sensory dysfunction, are we creating environments in which our children are less alive? And in greater danger? CHILDREN & NATURE NETWORK RESEARCH LIBRARY NATURE IS THE ULTIMATE SENSORY EXPERIENCE: A Pediatric Occupational Therapist Makes the Case for Nature Therapy SMART PILLS VS. NATURE SMART: Want Your Kids to Do Better in School? Try a Dose of "Vitamin N" THE SCHOOL OF NATURE: Greening Our Schools May Be The Real Cutting Edge of Education THE HYBRID MIND: The More High-Tech Education Becomes, The More Nature Our Children Need Commentaries here and elsewhere on the C&NN website are offered
to inform readers and to stimulate new thinking and debate. C&NN does not officially
endorse every statement, report or product mentioned in every commentary.

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NOURISHING STARVING HANDS: Idle Hands, Fidget Spinners & Vitamin N

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For a certain demographic (mainly ages 4-14), 2017 was the Year of the Fidget Spinner. This transfixing spinner mesmerized many a good portion of the year, showing up in classrooms, parks and dinner tables alike.