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Help kids unwind and refocus with these mental and physical options for brain breaks.

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Brain gym exercises are simple activities that improve cognitive function. These exercises help enhance learning, communication ability, attention, memory, academic performance in children and also help maintain a healthy lifestyle ( 1), ( 2). While they were initially designed for kids, they also may help delay Alzheimer's XA brain disorder that impacts memory, thinking, and cognitive functions due to the shrinking of brain cells. disease, Parkinson's 3), ( XA brain disorder that leads to degeneration of the nerve cells and causes involuntary movement of the arms, legs, or the jaw disease, cancer, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, respiratory problems, and depression and anxiety in adults ( 4), ( 5), ( 6).

This article explores the 15 best brain gym exercises and their benefits. Keep reading.

Why Are Brain Gym Exercises Good?

Michael Hamlin, Certified Personal Trainer, says, "Brain gym exercises are based on the idea that certain movements, such as shaking your hands, rocking, and stretching, can help brain function. There needs to be more research on brain gyms. But a substantial amount of research has found that exercise, in general, can help relieve anxiety and depression by releasing endorphins and improving blood flow in the brain. For example, researchers found that those who exercised regularly showed fewer signs of anxiety and depression when exposed to stress."

Most brain gym exercises are appropriate for people of all ages. For example, some simple movements such as walking and stretching have been shown to be effective in easing anxiety, regardless of a person's age or fitness level. In fact, tasks such as sleeping or listening to music also allow the brain to rest and recover, which can help with mental health.

1. Make you smarter and sharper.

2. Boost your confidence levels.

3. Improve your self-esteem.

4. Improve attention and memory.

5. Boost thinking and decision-making abilities.

6. Revitalize your natural healing mechanisms.

7. Restore health and harmony.

8. Help improve eyesight.

9. Enhance creativity and communication skills.

10. Cheer you up when you feel disappointed or rejected.

The best part of brain gym is that anyone can do these exercises, from kids to older adults, and improve their quality of life. Explore the brain gym activities in the following section.

15 Brain Gym Exercises

According to Hamlin, "These exercises are designed to develop, increase, and improve functions of the body, such as vision, concentration, balance, coordination, and communication.

Next to this, brain gym exercises are the foundation for developing a more alert and relaxed body and mind, and this translates into improved physiological function. These exercises help improve the functionality of specific neural pathways so that the body and mind work harmoniously together and students can be more balanced and grounded in their physical, mental, and emotional activities."

Let's take a look at the brain gym exercises you can do.

1. Marching In Place

Marching in place is a great way to warm up your muscles. This low-to-moderate intensity exercise preps your muscles and improves breathing, balance, and hand-leg coordination.
How To March In Place
2. Cross Crawl

Cross crawl exercise helps improve the coordination between the right and left brain. You can do it either by standing, sitting, or lying, depending on your comfort level.
How To Do Cross Crawl

1. Stand straight with your legs hip-width apart, shoulders rolled back, and chest up. Look ahead.

2. Lift your right hand above your head. This is your starting position.

3. Lift your left leg off the floor, and bend your left knee.

4. Simultaneously, bend your right elbow and try to touch the left knee with your right elbow.

5. Get back to the starting position. Do the same with your left hand and right leg.

6. Do three sets with eight repetitions.

You may sit on a chair and do this exercise if you have a knee injury or are relearning to balance your body.

3. Ankle Touch
Similar to the previous exercise, the ankle touch exercise helps enhance balance and coordination between the left and right limbs. How To Do Ankle Touches
4. Ankle Touch Behind Your Body

This brain gym is another variation of the ankle touch. It is an effective way to improve balance and coordination between the right and left limbs.
How To Do Ankle Touches Behind Your Body
5. Step Touch
Step touch, also known as the dancer's warm-up, is great for lateral or side-to-side movement coordination. How To Do Step Touch

1. Stand with your legs close together.

2. Take a step toward your right with your right leg.

3. Place your left foot next to your right leg.

4. Take a step toward your left with your left leg.

5. Place your right foot next to your left leg.

6. Do this 30 times at a slow to moderate pace.

6. Neck Circles

Neck circles are good for the neck muscles and head movement coordination. This activity also improves balance if you do it while standing. Keep your eyes closed when you do this exercise.
How To Do Neck Circles
7. Cook's Hook-Up

The cook's hook-up exercise helps calm the nerves and improves hand and brain coordination.
How To Do Cook's Hook-Up
8. Brain Button

This exercise helps improve the flow of electromagnetic energy. It relaxes the eyes, shoulder, and neck and promotes body balance.
How To Do Brain Button Exercise
9. Lazy Eights

In lazy eights, you trace the number eight or infinity symbol with a marker on a whiteboard or with a pen/pencil on white paper. Following the shape with your eyes have several benefits. It improves eye muscle movement, visual tracking, peripheral vision X The ability to see objects away from the center that are out of the direct line of sight or from the corner of the eyes. , attention span, and coordination. This activity enhances your abilities to understand languages, study comprehension, and eliminate reversals and transpositions.
How To Do Lazy Eights
10. The Elephant

The elephant brain gym helps improve attention, recognition, perception, memory, speech, spelling, thinking ability, depth perception, and eye coordination.
How To Do The Elephant
Note: You can also do this exercise in a sitting position.

11. The Energy Yawn

The energy yawn exercise helps release tension in the jaw and relaxes the eyes.
How To Do Energy Yawn
12. The Thinking Cap

The thinking cap activity is one of those brain exercises for memory that effectively improve learning speed and mood, increases attention span, and boosts memory in kids and adults.
How To Do Thinking Cap

1. Sit on a chair. Place your index finger and thumb on your ear.

2. Massage the top of your ear and gradually come down to the auricle XThe outermost layer of the ear made of skeleton and skin (also called the pinna) that helps collect and transmit sound waves. .

3. Massage from the back to the top of your ear.

4. Do this slowly for 15 times.

13. Belly Breathing

This exercise helps increase oxygen supply in the body, which, in turn, helps you relax and improves your reading and speaking abilities.
How To Do Belly Breathing
14. Trace X

The trace X exercise helps improve eye coordination, vision, depth perception, hearing, and body coordination. It enhances your skills in writing, organization, mathematics, spelling, grammar, language learning, sports, and executive function (planning and scheduling).
How To Do Trace X
Note: You can also draw a big 'X' spanning the diagonals of a whiteboard and trace it with your eyes.

15. Positive Points

This exercise helps draw positive emotions and reduces the negative ones. It releases stress, relieves memory blocks, and boosts your mood. The positive points brain gym also enhances long-term memory and improves learning, reading, academic skills, and stage and sports performances.
How To Stimulate The Positive Points
Note: Practice it regularly to train your brain to restrict bothering thoughts.

Workout routines are good for maintaining a fit and healthy body. It is a universal truth that exercising improves your muscle tone and fitness, but there are a few exercises that improve your brain fitness or cognitive function as well. You can look up specific exercises to train certain aspects of brain functioning like brain exercises for concentration, brain exercises for focus, brain exercises for learning, and brain exercises for creativity. They help boost your memory and attention span along with academic and athletic performance. Make sure that you are doing the exercises correctly as incorrect form can lead to injuries or muscle pains. Additionally, you can practice mental exercises that stimulate brain function to enhance cognitive and memory functioning. Consult a therapist and primary care physician before beginning these brain gym exercises to learn how to make the most of these exercises.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you train your brain like a muscle?

Michael Hamlin says, "The brain is not a muscle, but in many ways, it does work like one. The brain is made up of millions of neurons communicating through electrical and chemical signals. Like a muscle, your brain can be trained to become stronger over time using activities such as brain gym exercises."

Is brain gym evidence-based?

Yes. Brain gym exercises help improve cognition, mental health, and overall well-being.

Which brain gym exercise is best for students?

The following exercises are best for students:

Belly breathing

Positive points

Thinking cap

Brain button

How do you exercise your left brain?

Do coordinated moves of the right limbs to exercise your left brain.

Is the brain gym an effective educational intervention?

Yes. The brain gym might help improve thinking, reading, and speaking abilities. However, no evidence shows the brain gym to be an effective educational intervention.

Which brain gym technique to use to calm children down?

You can use Cook's hook-ups and cross-crawls to help children calm down after experiencing anxiety and distress. Hook-ups can help control their breathing while cross-crawls can improve their focus and release stress.

Does brain gym help autism?

No, current scientific evidence shows that brain gym does not increase engagement in children with autism ( 7).

How much brain training should you do in a day?

You can practice 60 to 90 minutes of brain training or brain workout every week to keep your brain sharp and healthy.

What time of the day is your brain sharpest?

Studies suggest your brain is sharpest in the mornings following a good night's sleep ( 8), ( 9). Ideally, you can perform cognitive-heavy tasks in the morning.

Key Takeaways

Learn how to improve your focus and concentration with brain gym exercises. Discover simple and effective techniques in the video below to help you stay focused and productive.

Sources

Articles on StyleCraze are backed by verified information from peer-reviewed and academic research papers, reputed organizations, research institutions, and medical associations to ensure accuracy and relevance. Read our editorial policy to learn more.

1. THE EFFECT OF BRAIN GYM® ON ACADEMIC ENGAGEMENT FOR CHILDREN WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES
https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1029010.pdf

2. Memory and Time of Day
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/233046511_Memory_and_Time_of_Day

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Top 15 Simple Brain Gym Exercises For Children & Adults

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Brain gym exercises improve learning, memory, attention, academic performance, planning, and mood. Here are the 15 brain gym exercises for kids and adults.

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Learn about alternative seating and how to use it in the classroom to promote attention, motor skills, and more!

*This post contains affiliate links. Read more.

As pediatric occupational and physical therapists, we believe in the power of movement! We believe that if students have the opportunity to choose alternative seating options throughout their school day, their bodies (and minds) will be awake and ready to learn!

So let's dig right into the nitty gritty of alternative seating!

Awhile back, we polled our followers about alternative seating for the classroom and had an overwhelming response. First, we asked if you currently use alternative seating in your classroom and 75% of you say that you do.

So what is all this buzz about alternative seating? How do you introduce it? Why is it used? What are the options?

The Benefits of Alternative Classroom Seating

Our survey also asked participants what they have found to be the biggest benefit to students who use alternative seating options in their classrooms. The top answers included: better attention/focus, less restlessness, and increased participation.

And the research is consistent with these answers. Physical activity is correlated with higher academic performance, better overall health, and improved behavior. Studies have found that short bursts of movement or movement breaks in the classroom contribute to better on-task behavior, with the most improvement seen in children who were the least on-task initially. (1) And offering changes in positions and movement opportunities throughout the day provide these short bursts of activity.

As therapists and teachers, we know that a multi-sensory approach to learning contributes to better learning outcomes, attention, and behavior. Research supports the idea that dynamic seating options can be used to improve attention in students. (2, 3) Just as adults need to get up and take a walk or pace the room while we think and brainstorm, kids also need outlets for moving and fidgeting during the school day.

When kids are taught to identify and honor their preferences for movement, fidgeting, and alternative positioning, they feel that their needs are being acknowledged, contributing to increased engagement and motivation in the classroom as well as an increased sense of community among the students. (4)

Alternative seating can also promote core strength, balance, coordination, and posture. Simply by being exposed to subtle movement experiences throughout the day (e.g. bouncing lightly on a ball while they read, rocking on a wobble stool during a video), kids' bodies learn to make slight adjustments in their positioning to "catch" themselves from rolling too far to one side. They build core strength by having to hold themselves upright on an unstable surface. They build coordination by transitioning into and out of different seating options.

And the benefits don't end there! Allowing kids some control over where they sit turns them into problem solvers who can identify how they're feeling and choose what works best for them.

The bottom line? Kids simply aren't meant to sit still all day long...none of us are. Maria Montessori stated her observations of the negative impact of kids sitting in chairs in pretty serious terms - "When chairs were used, children were not disciplined, but annihilated."

How to Introduce Alternative Classroom Seating

We know what you are thinking. A bunch of big, round, colorful therapy balls rolling around a classroom sounds like a chaotic nightmare, right?

In our experience, it helps to set some ground rules for use of alternative seating. Kids need to know that this is an tool to help them focus and keep them engaged in the classroom. Initiate a classroom contract that your students must sign before being able to try out a piece of equipment (you can find a printable contract in the Wiggle Worms ebook ).

We recently posted some great tips for introducing fidget toys and other sensory materials into the classroom. These tips work for introducing alternative seating as well. Here are some other suggestions:

Model!

Sit on a therapy ball yourself and show kids that it CAN stay in one spot and that you don't have to bounce as high as the moon to get the benefits of a calmer body.

Provide Options

A therapy ball is only the beginning when it comes to alternative seating! Allowing kids to explore what works for them will send the message that they have some control and responsibility. Frame the seating options as a privilege that can be taken away if not used properly.

Get some parents to buy in!

You can try getting parents to buy in and even provide ball chairs or disc cushions by sending home a simple letter. Ask them to purchase a therapy ball for their child, explain the benefits of alternative seating and get permission for them to use it in the classroom. You can find a printable letter template in the Wiggle Worms ebook.

Classroom Seating Options

Do you have a student who can't sit still in their chair? The child that is constantly laying their head down on their desk or flopping sideways, practically falling to the floor?

Maybe the feeling of the hard chair is just too much for their tactile systemto handle. Their body is going into fight or flight mode and just can't sit still! Or maybe they needs a little bit of extra movement to stay awake and alert. Encourage more functional posture by providing them with an alternative option for seating.

The most common classroom seating alternative (according to our survey) was a therapy ball. But there are lots of great possibilities out there! Try something that moves with the child, or is soft and squishy - like a disc cushion. Or something that allows him to move into different positions around the room like a beanbag chair.
Here are some of our favorite alternative seating options for the classroom:
Bouncy Bands - Check out this awesome infographic showing the research behind this awesome tool!

Resources for funding and donations

According to our survey, the biggest limiting factor to teachers filling their rooms with alternative seating was cost (we were not surprised by this one!).

The good news is that there are lots of ways to secure donations for alternative seating options for your classroom. First, as we mentioned above, try asking parents to send in an option that works for their child. There are many low-cost options out there that families would be willing to supply themselves.

Here are some other resources for helping to secure the funds for alternative classroom seating:

Describe your classroom "project" (in this case, it would be securing alternative seating for your classroom), submit it to Donors Choose and they help connect you with donors that are looking to make teachers' wishes come true! Over 75% of teachers reach their funding goals through Donors Choose with over 600,000 classroom projects fulfilled.

2 || Kids in Need Foundation

A great place to find information about a wide range of grants available for teachers. The KINF mission is to ensure that every child is prepared to learn and succeed by providing free school supplies nationally to students most in need.

This organization's mission is to give teachers a hand and provide needed classroom materials so their students can succeed. Donors can search donation opportunities by subject (art, music, literacy) or they can choose to donate to the classrooms and schools that are most in financial need.

the Wiggle Worms Alternative Seating ebook!

The printable guide has 20+ pages of awesome resources to get you on your way to becoming an alternative seating rockstar! From printable templates to information and funding resources, this ebook is full of useful tips, seating option ideas, and more!

How are you using alternative seating in your classroom? What are your biggest challenges? What are your success stories? We'd love to hear from you!
References
1 - Mahar, M.T., S.K. Murphy, D.A. Rowe, J. Golden, A.T. Shields, & T. D. Raedeke. Effects of a Classroom-Based Program on Physical Activity and On-Task
Behavior. Med. Sci. Sports Exerc., Vol. 38, No. 12, pp. 2086Y2094, 2006

2 - Fedewa, A. L., & Erwin, H. E. (2011). Stability balls and students with attention and hyperactivity concerns: Implications for ontask and in-seat behavior. American
Journal of Occupational Therapy, 65, 393-399. doi: 10.5014/ajot.2011.000554

3 - Kuhn, D & Lewis, S (2013). The Effect of Dynamic Seating on Classroom Behavior for Students in a General Education Classroom
http://soundideas.pugetsound.edu/ms_occ_therapy/77/

4 - Bill, Victoria N. (2008). Effects of Stability Balls on Behavior and
Achievement in the Special Education Classroom. http://c.ymcdn.com/sites/www.co-case.org/resource/resmgr/imported/WP_Stability%20Balls%20and%20Behavior.pdf

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Alternative Seating for the Classroom - The Inspired Treehouse

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Learn about alternative seating and how to use it in the classroom to promote attention, motor skills, and more! this ... *This post contains affiliate links. Read more. As pediatric occupational and physical therapists, we believe in the power of movement! We believe that if students have the opportunity to choose alternative seating options throughout ...

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Establishing an active school is an important step toward ensuring opportunities for movement throughout the school day are weaved into the school culture and fabric. While the extensive benefits of physical activity are well-established, there is a substantial need for time, support, resources, and effort to establish an active school culture. Therefore, we believe schools should be recognized for their hard work!

The school recognition process has several layers, including the opportunity to earn points for implementing evidence-based practices, awarding badges for attaining benchmarks within each of the elements, recognition for achievement across elements, and receiving awards for earning Active School recognition status.

To earn school recognition, schools must submit an application for review. Applications are reviewed three times per year (August, December, and May), so all practices implemented to-date of each application period will be included in the application.

Learn more about the process and apply for school recognition by downloading the application below.

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Regular physical activity helps students succeed in school - and in life. Bring physical activity back to America's schools with Let's Move! Active Schools.

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Keep Your Teen Moving to Reduce Risk of Depression

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Keep Your Teen Moving to Reduce Risk of Depression

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Science shows moderate to vigorous aerobic exercise is good for us -- it improves sleep; lowers blood pressure; protects against heart disease, diabetes and cancer; reduces stress; boosts mood; and fights anxiety and depression.

It's especially important in adolescence, where the first signs of depression often begin, studies show. But unless your child is an athlete, it can be tough to wean them away from social media and the ever-present screento swim laps or go for a blood-pumping jog.

A new study has some good news: even light exercise may help protect children against developing depression.

The study, published Tuesday in the journal Lancet Psychiatry,found that 60 minutes of simple movement each day at age 12 was linked to an average 10% reduction in depression at age 18. The types of movement ranged from running and biking to walking, doing chores, painting or playing an instrument.

"It's not just more intense forms of activity that are good for our mental health," Aaron Kandola, a PhD student in psychiatry at University College London and lead author of the study, said in a statement.

"A lot of initiatives promote exercise in young people, but our findings suggest that light activity should be given more attention as well," senior author Dr. Joseph Hayes, a psychiatrist and clinical research consultant at University College London, said in a statement.

"Schools could integrate light activity into their pupils' days, such as with standing or active lessons," Hayes said. "It doesn't require much effort and it's easy to fit into the daily routines of most young people."

Long-term results

The study used information from the University of Bristol's Children of the '90s study, which has been following 14,500 women and their children for 30 years, from pregnancy onward.

As part of this, 4,257 adolescents wore instruments to track their movements at ages 12, 14 and 16 over a three-day period. For at least 10 hours each day, accelerometers recorded whether the child moved or was sedentary. The machines provided a better method of tracking than prior studies, which relied on self-reporting, researchers said.

"Worryingly, the amount of time that young people spend inactive has been steadily rising for years, but there has been a surprising lack of high quality research into how this could affect mental health," Kandola said.

Sedentary behavior increased as the children grew older, the study found, with depression scores highest among the least active. Each additional hour of sitting at age 12 was linked to an 11% increase in depression scores at age 18, based on a clinical questionnaire which measures depressive symptoms and their severity on a spectrum.

At age 14, each additional hour of being inactive raised depressive scores by 8%, while 16-year-olds had an increased score of 10.5%, the study found. The study only looked at depression, not anxiety disorders.

Researchers adjusted their analysis to account for those with depression at the beginning of the study as well as socioeconomic status, parental history and the like, which are all linked to mental health. While the study is only an association and can't prove a relationship between movement and depression, "our study suggests that these two trends may be linked," Kandola said.

In fact, the data "suggested that a 2 [hour] reduction in daily sedentary behavior between the ages of 12 and 16 years old was associated with a 16 [to] 22% reduction in depression scores by age 18," the study said.

Rates of adolescent mental disorders on rise

According to the World Health Organization, depression is one of the leading causes of illness and disability among adolescents around the world, accounting for "16% of the global burden of disease and injury in people aged 10 to 19 years."

In the United States, rates of teen depression are on the rise. A new study to be published in March found rates of major depressive episodes in the last year among teens increased 52% between 2005 and 2017. The study analyzed data from the U.S. National Survey on Drug Use and Health and found rates rose from 8.7% to 13.2% over that time span.

A depressive episode is defined by a list of symptoms that include feeling sad, hopeless, frustrated, anxious or worthless for at least two weeks.

That number fits with a 2017 analysis by the US National Institute of Mental Health, which found 13.3% of American teens aged 12 to 17 have suffered at least one major depressive episode over the last 12 months. That's more than three million children, mostly girls. Girls are almost three times as likely to suffer depressive episodes, the report said.

The trend is worrisome, experts say, especially since only 50% of depressed teens are diagnosed before adulthood and suicide is on the rise. A study last year found that the numbers of children and teenswith suicidal thoughts who went to emergency rooms in the U.S. doubled between 2007 and 2015.

The National Institute of Mental Health is currently funding three separate research projects to study the depressed teenage brain and evaluate treatments.

What to look for

For parents, it might be hard to distinguish between normal teen angst and depression. Symptoms include fatigue, irritability, odd sleeping patterns, a wish to be left alone and a lack of interest in school and daily activities, among others.

In 2016, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force said that all primary care doctors, such as pediatricians and family physicians, should routinely screen teens over age 12 for signs of depression. One of the most used tests is called the PHQ, or patient health questionnaire.

The questions cover mood, sleep, energy, concentration and suicidal thoughts, and asks the teen to rate the severity of their symptoms from "not at all" to "nearly every day."

Parents should be able to access the test via their pediatrician, as the American Academy of Pediatrics updated their guidelines in 2018, encouraging all pediatricians to screen teens for depression, and depending on the severity of the results, refer teens for treatment.

Parents, say experts, can help their depressed child by being supportive and validating their feelings. Rather than being critical, says the U.S. nonprofit Child Mind Institute, try to notice positive behaviors.

For example, "Instead of saying, 'Honey, you should really get up and do something. How about calling an old friend?' you might say, 'I'm going to the mall to do an errand. Let me know if you want to come with me, and maybe we can get lunch together,'" the institute suggests.

And if you can't break through the first time you try to connect to your teen, says YoungMinds, keep trying on another day. But don't ignore your teen's feelings hoping they will go away.

The National Alliance on Mental Illness in the U.S. has these tips as well:

1. Watch for warning signs: low self-esteem, withdrawal, lack of energy and interest, lower test scores at school, fatigue and suicidal thoughts. If seen, get your child professional help.

2. Spend quality time with your child and encourage "open and honest" conversations in which you actively listen to your child.

3. Encourage regular exercise, healthy eating habits and regular, quality sleep.

4. Encourage connections to others through family gatherings, social events, sleepovers and clubs and activities at school.

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Keep your teen moving to reduce risk of depression, study says

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A new study has found that even light exercise may help protect children against developing depression.