American scientists from the University of Illinois have found that fitness and aerobics are great ways to train not only muscles, but also intelligence. Especially for children.
The experiment involved, of course, children. Scientists watched children who needed to memorize new information. As a result, the researchers found that boys and girls involved in sports answered the questions better than their peers who were not used to exercise.
And after concretizing the results obtained, the scientists came to the conclusion that fitness exercises improve memory by about 30 percent. Well, they stimulate the brain in general.
Sophisticated technologies that test the functioning of individual neurons and the entire brain as a whole have proven that exercise strengthens the brain and enhances cognition. As strange as it may sound, the load on the muscles affects the thinking process more beneficially than thinking itself.
The thing is that during physical activity, the branches of nerve cells begin to grow vigorously. Such a strange tree – the more the muscles strain, the more actively its branches grow. And these very “branches” just determine the intellectual processes in the child’s brain. And an adult too.
Scientists also concluded that learning is easier for children if lessons as such alternate with periods of physical activity. The thing is that children are very difficult to perceive the continuous load on the brain. Therefore, it should be diluted with sports.
What is the most beneficial sport for a child’s brain?
- Gymnastics. And not necessarily sports or artistic. Any, even the most gentle gymnastics helps to improve blood circulation, and this only benefits the nutrition of the brain.
- Walking. Especially in the fresh air.
- Swimming… This is the safest type of load that can be applied by almost everyone.
Dancing. In addition to the all-round load on the body, dancing trains well coordination, body control, and is good for posture. Moreover, they raise the mood.
Game sports (football, volleyball, tennis, badminton and others). They deserve special attention, since they combine several important points: physical activity, many positive emotions, training of attention and reaction speed. Also, playing sports are often held outdoors, which, again, is extremely beneficial for the brain.
It was believed that people are born with a certain number of brain cells, and that this number does not increase over the years. However, scientists, having learned to mark new cells, made an amazing discovery – new neurons still appear in adults! And neurons are just those cells that are responsible for processing, storing and transmitting information using electrical and chemical signals. And – tadam! – their growth is stimulated again by physical activity.
So the expression “running after the intellect” is not a metaphor at all. Therefore, do not forget from time to time to kick the children out of the books and give them plenty of fun.