22 Power Your Body Power Your Mind

Learning isnt all mental. Scientists are starting to find that physical exercise increases the
power of our minds and makes us better learners. Dr. John Ratey is a professor of psychiatry at
Harvard Medical School. In his book about learning and the brain, he says that we need to
exercise our bodies to improve our minds. Exercise doesnt just increase important brain
chemicals, it also helps our brain grow. Ratey says, The cells in our brains are connected
through leaves on tree-like branches and exercise causes those branches to grow. When we
increase our movement, we improve our thinking skills.

What is the connection between exercise and brain health? Dr. John Medina is the author
of a book called Brain Rules. He says, Our brains were built for walking. We have to look back
millions of years to understand. Early humans walked between 10 and 20 kilometers a day in
search of food. This is the situation in which early human brains developed into the same
brains we have today. Movement gets blood to our brain bringing glucose and oxygen. Both
glucose and oxygen are necessary for improving thinking and learning.

Today, many of us live lives with very little movement. We drive cars or ride trains to work.
Many of us sit at desks all day and then return home to sit on our couches and watch TV. More
and more researchers are showing that increasing your movement will increase your brain
power. In one research study, a group of children ran for 30 minutes, 3 times a week. After 12
weeks, scientists tested their thinking ability and it had increased. When they stopped running,
their scores decreased.

So how can you add more movement to your life? Well, one thing you can do is download
these lessons and listen to them when you move. Try walking to work or going for a run while
you listen. Even just going for a fast walk outside can make you a better English learner.
Bodyweight Exercise

Muscle building exercises also increase brain power. Here is a great whole body exercise
that you can do anywhere.