The Importance of MOVEMENT

for the Brain

By Carla Hannaford, PHD
Brain Gym has spread rapidly throughout the world
because it is simple, easy to use in any learning
situation, and highly effective. People who do Brain
Gym notice the difference in themselves and others;
there are thousands of amazing anecdotal stories of
its success.
I estimate that more than 95% of licensed Brain
Gym instructors are parents or educators who
started this program because of concern for their
children or students. While teaching and traveling
through 32 countries, I have noticed that Brain Gym
teachers and consultants work from a sense of
altruism, compassion, and an understanding that
Brain Gym is profound in its ability to assist learning
for all people.
We are not alone in promoting the value of
movement; many researchers also share our
philosophy. I encourage interested parents,
educators, and others to read my books and the
recent research of those listed below and quoted in
my end notes.
Carla Hannaford
Movement is essential for learning. If we didn't
move, we wouldn't need a brain. A large part of the
brain is designed to move the whole body from place
to place, for food gathering, community building,
safety, shelter, and exploration; move the head,
eyes, and ears for sensory input; and move the hands
in gestures for personal and group communication,
and for tool use.
If we look at the developing brain of a human
embryo or fetus, we will notice that growth in key
areas stem from an auditory or movement response
to .sound and vibration that originate in the
semicircular canals of the inner ear. These are the
primary organs of the vestibular system, known as the
"entry way to the brain". The vestibular system, in
turn, stimulates the development of the brain
stem, especially the cerebellum, .which governs
gross motor movement as well as modulating almost
all the functions: of the rest of the brain. It also assists
with the development of the limbic system, which
helps orchestrate our movements in .relation to
emotions, sensory input, and :memory. Finally, the
vestibular system stimulates the development of
the neocortex, including the motor cortex for : fine
motor functions, and the proprioceptive area in

the sensory cortex of the parietal lobes, which lets us

know where our musclesare and how they need to
.respond in order for us to move as we wish.
'Whenever we move in an integrated way using both
sides of the body in a coherent manner we are fully
activating whole brain function. However, a person
who is labeled "hyperactive" or "autistic" often
demonstrates a survival reaction through his
movements; that is, he can run all day, react to any
loud or sharp noise and be hyper vigilant, looking
for where the danger lies, but he may be unable to
balance on one foot, walk across a board, skip or
jump with balanced movements, or think logically
and clearly. Such a person is functioning only from
the sympathetic nervous system, which puts him on
high alert for danger and gets him ready for the gross
motor movements associated with "fight or flight".
In this state of "fight or flight", the nondominant
cerebral cortex area can shut down 7585% of its
function because there is no need for highlevel
formal reasoning just reaction, and he may be
unable to learn, think deeply, or create.1
Slow, integrated movements, done consciously,
with good balance, intentionally cross the midline
of the body and equally activate both right and left
motor and sensor}' cortexes, as well as the rest of
the brain that is associated with complex
movement, and thus override the "fight or flight"
response. Brain Gym*, Tai Chi, Yoga, and the
Alexander technique are just a few examples of
integrative movement programs.
A sip of water crosses the membranes of the
mouth and goes directly into the blood, where
it will traverse the body five times even' minute
and optimally assist hydration.
Researchers at the University of California, USA,
discovered that we can actually grownew nerve cells
until the clay we die as many as 60,000 per day
in the hippocampus, the primary area for
memory.2 In attempting to understand what caused
new nerve cells to grow, researchers found that
crosslateral, integrated movements were the key
element.'

MOVEMENT IS ESSENTIAL FOR

LEARNING!
These findings fit well into other research which found
that elderly people (ages 7090) who danced several
times a week decreased their chances of dementia by
79%4, and that children who take part in integrative
sports, dance, or who play a musical instrument
(another example of highly integrative movement) are
much more focused and perform better in learning
situations than those who do not.
By doing the simple, integrative movements of Brain
Gym'', we simultaneously activate both sides of the
brain, and fully stimulate the frontal lobes of the
brain via the motor cortex, which allows us to
understand a situation, assimilate new learning, and
remember important details. When the brain is
fully balanced in its functioning, people become
more aware of their options and potential. They are
able to learn in an optimal manner, create new
ideas, safely explore their personal emotions and the
emotions of others, and live a more growthfilled
life. In this state, where dopamine levels are high,
adrenaline and cortical levels are low, individuals can
focus easily and become fully aware of the wonderof
their environment and the joys in their lives.
Some authors say that depression may become
the number one ailment worldwide by the year 20
25. However, simply taking a walk or doing Brain
Gym Activates whole brain function and can
calm the overactive parts of the brain ( especially
the prefrontal cortex) that tend to focus on the
negative and can lead to depression. When we
return to an integrated state, anything is possible
for us our children, our spouses and those with
whom we work.
Through teaching Brain Gym in schools and
working with individual children who have specific
learning difficulties, I have noticed over and over
again that the movements need to be enjoyable
and stress free, preferably done with the whole
family ) or at least one active parent so that the
child is not singled out.
I have discovered a great truth: our children do
what we do, not what we say. If we are stressed
out, our children will also be stressed out. On
the other hand, when we ourselves do Brain Gym ,

we become more attentive, focused and available

to our children thus ensuring a positive emotional
relationship and a safe learning environment for
them as well as for us.
As for adults, Brain Gym integrates the
brain/body system so we can optimize
performance and in our area of choice athletics,
music, dance , drama the visual arts or business.
When the whole brain functions in an efficient
integrated way , we can easily see the details and
the big picture of a situation: have a balanced
physical structure to accommodate the
movements we need at that moment; and more
importantly, connect in an empathetic altruistic
manner with the people we encounter in our
lives. The simple movements of Brain Gym are
profound in their effect on the whole brain/body
system and the enjoyment that people experience
while doing them has an added advantage of
raising the levels of neuron chemicals that
optimize all learning.
Carla Hannaford, PhD, is a neurobiologist,
international lecturer, educator, and author. Her first
book. Smart Moves: Why Learning is not all in your
Head, is available in a newlyrevised edition from
www.braingym.com
REFERENCES
J Saplisky, Robert. Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers: An Updated Guide
to Stress, Stressrelated Diseases, and Coping. NY: Freeman. J998.
2 Kempermann, Gerd and FredH. Cage. New Nerve Cells for the
Adult
Brain. Scientific American, May 1999, pp. 4853.
3 Van Praag, Henriette, Gerd Kempermann and Fred Gage.
Running
Increases Cell Proliferation and Neurogenesis in the Adult Mouse
Dentate
Cyrus. Nature Neuroscience, March 1999 (vol. 2: 3), pp. 266270.
4 Verghese, ]oe, et al. Leisure Activities and the Risk of Dementia
in the
Elderly. New England Journal of Medicine. 2003 (vol.348:25), pp.
2508
2515.
5 Marano, Hara Estroff and Musselman, Dominique. Depression:
Beyond
Seratonin. Psychology Today Marchi April 1999, pp. 3334, 7374. '
This article originally appeared in the June 2006 issue of the EduK
Update. Brain Gym is a registered trademark of Brain Gym
International, Ventura CA www.braingym.org. Copyright 2006. All
rights reserved. ( Permission pending )