Brain gym exercises are simple brain activities that help and improve cognitive functions. These exercises help to improve communication ability, learning, attention, academic performance, memory in children and also manage a healthy lifestyle. While they were initially created for kids, they also may delay the Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer, respiratory problems, cardiovascular disease, anxiety, and depression in adults.
Brain gym is part of the Educational Kinesiology Program, which means to draw out learning with movement. It is an advanced and very effective movement-based program that helps neural communication in the body and mind to help you get and reach your highest potential in learning and any life skill.
The program is very successful and can be enjoyed by everyone. Brain Gym is utilized in 80 countries in Business, Education, Performing arts, and sports with profound and lasting results.
Brain gym helps to enhance neurological function so that parts of the brain are very strongly linked and accessible for a given task. The program uses the movement of developments and offers a level of quick improvement. It is fun and simple for all from 8 years old and above.
How can Brain Gym help you?
Table of Contents
Brain gym looks at the physical elements of learning that most educators do not. Trying to teach an adult or child, who is not grown and cannot get part of their brain for particular tasks like writing, reading, problem-solving, spelling, is going to be very frustrating, difficult, costly, and consuming will lead to more stress to a system that is not ready.
It is very essential for parents and teachers not to push children hard, but first, ensure the physical side of learning, and then teaching and learning will become an easy, successful, and enjoyable process for all.
Brain gym helps to grow the auditory, visual, vestibular, kinesthetic, proprioceptor, and tactile senses using movement. If any of these senses are not developed, and parts of the brain are not linked up particularly it can impact the performance and potential of the individual in the learning environment, sports field, and workplace.
Brain gym moves have been specially created to stimulate the sense and connect with the brain. When you can get more of your brain, learning challenges will go. Improved confidence levels, focus, motivation, and feeling positive can be seen in groups or individuals. Some minutes of movement will instantly change how they feel and will help your skills and ability. It is a brilliant, very effective, and simple program when utilized properly and in my opinion, should be used in schools each day to help every student be able to learn confidently and easily.
Key Takeaways
From kids to adults, everyone can try brain gym workouts to enhance their memory, confidence, and attention and delay Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease.
Workouts like ankle touch and cross crawl help to increase coordination and balance.
Brain button is a workout that helps you boost body balance and relax.
BRAIN GYM EXERCISES
Lateralization
It concerns the way the right and left hemispheres interact. The left hemisphere is specialized in logic and language, while the right one is, in reality, spatiality and music.
Cross Crawls
Image SourceStudents alternately push their arms to the opposite leg and then vice versa. Since every limb is governed by the hemisphere of the opposite side, this workout facilitates a link between the two hemispheres.
- Stand on feet at your hip distance
- Assure your body as a big X and get your hands up and out if you would like.
- Slowly get one arm down and across while the different leg comes up to meet it. Flex your torso to have the most contact between the arm and the opposite leg. Stay comfortable and do not over-stretch, but stay as engaged as possible. You can think of dancing the twist if that helps.
- Change arm and leg.
Remember to get slow due to particular neurotransmitters being removed and integrated left and right brain hemisphere learning is good enabled.
The slow contralateral moves stimulate language and speech centers in the brain. Coordination and improved balance and over time this slow move may get easier.
Hook-ups
Image SourceThe workout can be performed while sitting, standing, or lying down. Students cross the left ankle over the right one. Then they
The exercise can be done while standing, sitting, or lying down. Students cross the left ankle on the right twist fingers and get them near to the chest. Close your eyes and take a deep breath for some time and relax. Then students free their legs and hands and fingers tip touch slowly while they breathe deeply.
- Hook-ups help body and mind relaxation.
Double doodle
It is a bilateral drawing activity, which has sketching two images with both hands. It improves these learning skills:
- spelling accurateness
- knowledge of writing symbols
- Maths’s calculations
The Elephant
Image SourceThis movement stimulates the inner ear for improved balance and so combines the listening brain with both ears. It enhances:
- listening cognition and attention
- thinking ability
- long-term and short memory
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Focalization
Workout help students to grow and reinforce those neural paths, which connect what they already know, which lays in the brain back with the ability to process and communicate information.
The Owl
The owl’s moves enhance auditory and visual skills and also head rotation. They lower the neck tension, which grows in distressing conditions.
The owl shoulders muscles and lengthens the neck during reestablishing movement width and boosts blood flow to the brain.
It improves memory and attention.
The Active Arm
Image SourceThe active arm extends muscles in the upper part of the shoulders and chest. When these muscles are tool controlling skills and contracted writing are inhibited:
It stimulates the brain for:
diaphragm relaxation
expressive reading
deep breathing
tool controlling skills
hand-eye coordination
The Gravitational Glider
The movement uses gravity and balance to lower tension in the pelvic and hips part, thus allowing the student to find a more comfortable pose when standing up or sitting. It improves:
abstract thinking
reading comprehension
mental Maths’s calculations
The Rocker
Image SourceThe rocker massages the gluteus muscle groups and hamstring. It can be very friendly after hours spent sitting in the classroom. It also activates the circulation of the cerebrospinal fluid into the spinal column and stimulates the brain for:
study skills
comprehension and attention
left-to-right visual skills
CENTRALIZATION
These are mostly relaxation workouts, which help to re-establish the neural networks between body and brain, this way boosting the passage of electromagnetic flow from the body. These activities help the electrical and chemical processes, which take place during physical and mental efforts.
Brain Buttons
Image SourceOne hand massages the two spots under the clavicle while the other rests over the navel. The movements help to stimulate the carotid artery and this way enhance the blood flow to your brain. It stimulates the brain for:
- memorization
- reading skills
Earth Buttons
One hand’s fingers rest over the lower lip during the others keep on the pubic bone. While getting the sensation of a good connection between the lower and upper body parts the student feels extra cantered and stable. It improves:
- reading skills
Balance Buttons
This button recreates the balance in each dimension: left-right over-under and back before. The student massages the spot where the skull is attached to the neck and similar time, the navel.
It boosts the next learning skills:
spelling accurateness
critical and decisional capacities
Maths’s calculations
Space Buttons
One hand rests over the upper lip while the other lays over the back-bone
It triggers the brain for:
concentration
relaxation
eye-contact in contact with people
It enhances these learning skills:
reading
focusing during a test
motivation
interest
The thinking cap student gently pulls ears backward and unrolls them with fingers. They start from the top of the ear, massage them delicately and end on the lobe. It activates the brain for:
- hearing one’s voice
- short-term memory
- inner dialogue and thinking
The Energetic Yawn
Do not get angry with your students if they yawn while English classrooms. Now you understand that scientific research has shown yawing to be a good exercise that gets oxygen to the brain and so improves learning performances.
Recommended length of every movement is around 30 seconds unless otherwise stated. Please do all movements suggested with care and to the degree that senses comfortable. If any move feels strenuous or awkward stop and consults with LBGC, Sonya White, or other
Licensed Brain Gym Consultant.
Sit-Up Cross Crawls
Image SourceLay down with face up over a comfortable yet strong surface
Keep knees flexed towards the head and feet over the ground.
Keep your hands back of your head and slowly raise the head some inches over the ground, and do not strain your neck.
Gently get one elbow and the other knee together, flexing the body as much as it is comfortable.
Get the knee and elbow away from each other as the opposite elbow and knee flex toward every other and touch.
This workout can be performed as long as you feel comfortable, more can be increased over time. Abdominal muscles are maintained as the lower back relaxes. The left and right hemispheres of the mind are activated to work together work. Again, the slower the movement the better for each system Sit-up cross crawls effects.
Think of an ‘X’
Image SourceClose your eyes and think of looking at a big X. If it helps, try drawing an X over a blank sheet of paper and look at it right in front of you. Imagining or looking at an X strengthens the neural connections between the left and right hemispheres of the brain, which helps us to understand the details, and the neural connections between the left and right hemispheres of the brain which help us understand information’s and the big picture.
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Lazy 8s
Image SourceThe activity has in drawing horizontal like eight in the air with your hands. It activates the brain and improves:
Connection in hemispheres
eye muscles coordination
reading speed
peripheral and bi-ocular vision
Sit over a table with a blank piece of paper directly in front of you. Position the paper, so it is a wider parallel to you.
Keep the tip of a pencil or pen right in the center of the paper. It should also be right in the centreline of your body.
Draw with the pencil or pen first up and toward the left. Circle down and around, coming to the middle gains before going upward and toward the right. Circle down and around toward the center and repeat the drawing starting up to the left. Repeat this at least 3-times, always beginning up and toward the left.
Follow the pencil and pen tip with your eyes the whole time. End the drawing in the center where you begin. Your drawing should look like an endlessness symbol.
Infinity 8s help the eyes move together and for the right and left hemispheres of the brain to combine. This movement is relaxing and also the best way to continue the eye’s muscles exercise. Perform Infinity 8s without eyeglasses.
Alphabet 8s
Image SourceSit at a table with a blank piece of paper directly on the front side. Keep the paper wide and parallel to you.
Keep the tip of a pencil or pen right in the mid of the paper. It should also be right in the mid of your body.
Draw with the pencil or pen first up and to the left. Circle down and about, coming to the center again before going up and to the right.
Circle down and around to the center and repeat and re-trace the drawing starting up and to the left. Do this again three times, always starting up and to the left.
Follow the pen or pencil tip with your eyes the entire time. End the drawing in the mid where you begin. You are making a large forever symbol.
After drawing three endlessness symbols you are inclined to start drawing the first letter in the alphabet. All letters should be in lower case.
Write a lower alphabet ‘a by going up to the left down and coming to the mid before including a little tail. Get the pen back to the infinity symbols center and draw three more infinity 8s, always begin with up and left.
Stop the pen in the mid of the infinity symbol. Write a ‘b’ by drawing a straigh line up, coming level back down and following the infinity symbol upward to the right and about back to mid. Draw 3 more infinity symbols
before drawing the ‘c’.
the letters are drawn like so:
‘c’ = left,
‘d’ = left
‘e’ = left
‘f’ = left
‘g’ = left
‘h’ = right
‘i’ = center
‘j’ = center
‘k’ = right
‘l’ = center
‘m’ = left to right
‘n’ = right
‘o’ = left
‘p’ = right
‘q’ = left
‘r’ = right
‘s’ = left
‘t’ = center
‘u’ = right
‘v’ = right
‘w’ = left to right
‘x’ = right
‘y’ = right
‘z’ = right
The Brain Gym Benefits for Pre-schoolers
A healthy mind is present in a healthy body. Some extremely simple workouts can promote brain function and make children sharper, smarter, creative, eyesight, communicative skills, and boost confidence. These workouts are known as exercises for brain gym. Brain gym workouts consist of several movements which help with the kid’s eyes, ears, limbs, head, and complete body coordination.
Brain gym movements are utilized to link both hemispheres of the brain the right and left, with the final goal to improve functions of the brain, balance daily stress, and tension. It helps to get an optimal state to help them keep in shape, learn, concentrate, and think at any time.
Yoga vs Brain Gym for Mental Health
Image SourceThere are some resemblances between the yoga pose and the Brain Gym workout. It helps in movement extension, where the benefit has comprehension, long and short-term memory, centering, grounding, and complete body peace. The grounder is a transformation of the warrior II pose in yoga, where your arms would be kept over your hips in place of an extended T-position in the yoga pose.
There is also a parallel between the brain gym’s cross crawl sit-up and the yoga bicycle.
The cross crawls sit-ups help in listening, reading, mechanics, math, writing, and spelling. It is importantly a modified yoga bicycle, where you lie over your back and keep your hand behind your head, changing every elbow to the opposite knee with breathing.
Both yoga and brain gym are effective anti-aging fitness routines to improve mental and brain health as you get older. For a good result, try combining both into your anti-aging fitness routine.
Manage depression
Image SourceResearch shows that brain exercise treats moderate depression. Exercise work as an antidepressant medication but without any side effects. Exercise is a strong depression fighter for many reasons. Most importantly, it boosts all types of brain changes, including neural growth, lowered inflammation, and new activity patterns that boost feelings of calm and well-being.
It also eliminates endorphins, strong chemicals in the brain that energize spirits and let you feel good. Finally, a workout can also serve as a distraction, make you get some time to break out of the negative cycle that increases depression.
Exercise And Anxiety
Image SourceExercise is an effective and natural treatment for anxiety. It helps to relieve stress and tension, promote physical and mental energy and improve well-being from endorphins release. Anything that keeps moving can help, but you will get more benefits if you pay attention in place of zoning out.
Try to see the sensation of your feet hitting the ground, for example, or the rhythm of your feeling or breathing of wind over your skin. By including this mindfulness element and focusing on your body and how it feels as you work out. You will improve your physical condition and interrupt the constant worries of flow to the head.
Stress
Image SourceStress is a big problem of the day to day life. It affects the muscles of the neck, face, back, shoulder, and headaches. You may feel chest tightness, muscle cramps, and a pounding pulse. You may also feel the problems like heartburn, insomnia, diarrhea, stomachache, and frequent urination. The discomfort and worry of all these physical symptoms can in turn cause more stress and create a vicious cycle between body and mind.
Brain gym exercise is a very effective way to break the stress cycle. Also releasing brain endorphins, physical activity helps to relieve tension and relax muscles. Since the mind and body are very closely linked when your body feels good.
ADHD
Exercise regularly is one of the easy and effective ways to lower the ADHA symptoms and enhance concentration, memory, motivation, mood, and memory. Physical activity instantly promotes dopamine in the brain, serotonin levels, and norepinephrine, all of which impact attention and focus.
PTSD and trauma
Image SourceEvidence recommends that by really targeting the body and how it feels as you work out, you can help your nervous system get unstuck and start to move out of the stress response that featured trauma. Instead of helping your brain to wander, focus, and physical sensation of the muscles and joints.
Other Mental Health Benefits of Exercise
Sharper Thinking and Memory
The similar endorphins that help you feel better also help mental sharpness and concentration. Exercise also stimulates the new brain cells and prevents age-linked decline.
Higher Self-Esteem
Regular activity is good for the body, mind, and soul. When it becomes a habit, it can foster a sense of self-worth and help you stay strong. You will feel good about your appearance and exercise goals and get the achievement.
More Energy
Image SourcePromoting your heart rate many times in a week will help you get up and go. Start with some exercise every day and boost exercise as you feel energized.
Final Thought
Brain gym workouts are best for learning and rewriting the function of the brain. Performing regularly for 20-30 minutes will enhance speech, attention, academic, memory, cognitive skills, and sports performances. Take your therapist and physician’s help to train your brain with the brain gym workout given above.