Cognitive Benefits of Play and Movement is foundation for Move with Me™ Action Adventures DVDs

Jan. 12, 2011 - PRLog -- www.move-with-me.com

The Cognitive Benefits of Play and Movement: Effects on the Learning Brain
•   Active play promotes creative problem solving,
•   Active play facilitates better language skills
•   Active play improves memory,
•   Active play improves focus, attention and sustained concentration
•   Active play improves impulse control
•   Active play improves balance and coordination
•   Active play regulates body weight
•   Active play calms, sooths and reduces self-reported anxiety

Brain-based reasons to move summarized in part by Victoria Tennant, M.Ed. (Nuerospeak):
•   Movement stimulates a cascade of neurotrophins and neurotrofic factors, specifically, Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF), that promote the growth of nerve cells and increase the number of connections in the brain
•   Movement protects and produces new neurons in the hippocampus (learning and long term memory) and promotes myelination of the nerve tracks up into the brain and down the spine
•   Movement increases blood flow and oxygen to the brain for enhanced mental alertness
•   Movement produces dopamine, norephinephrine, serotonin, and endorphins to improve mood and enhance attention and memory.
•   Active play improves impulse control
•   Active play improves balance and coordination
•   Active play regulates body weight
•   Active play calms, sooths and reduces self-reported anxiety

Areas of the brain involved with movement & associated with the higher level processes of the prefrontal lobes: motor/sensory band: controls movements and touch and borders the prefrontal lobes close proximity stimulates cognitive activity cerebellum: coordinated movements coordinate thinking, the more complex the process, the more the cerebellum is involved corpus callosum: cross lateral movement integrates right and left side of the brain and body via this complex nerve bundle network, essential for creativity and problem solving basal ganglia: orchestrates fine & gross motor skills, slow controlled movement shifts the nervous system from stressed to relaxed and increases cognitive functions vestibular system: establishes balance, equilibrium, orientation; key role in attention.

Move with Me™ is utilizing this research for cutting-edge preschool exercise programs and kids yoga and fitness DVDs that are easy to use and affordable for parents and teachers, while also being fun, engaging and empowering for kids.  Their success lies in their unique combination of stories with movement instruction, as well as embedded self-care and self-reflection skills called, Adventure Skills. Our DVDs are available on our online store: www.move-with-me.com.

About:  Move With Me™ Action Adventures (www.move-with-me.com) was founded by Mom-Movement Educator-Entrepreneur, Leah Kalish and her award-winning TV Writer/Producer husband Bruce Kalish.  After creating many successful activity and curriculum products for other companies such as Gaiam, Barefoot Books, Imaginazium  and Yoga Ed., Leah teamed up with Bruce to produce story and movement enrichment media.  Dedicated to her father, Howard Simpson, their intention is to engage, empower and educate the whole child through play.

Resources:

“Active Start: A Statement of Physical Activity Guidelines for Children Birth to Five Years. National Association for Sport and Physical Education.” National Association for Sport and Physical Education, 2009.

Burdette HL, Whitaker RC. “Resurrecting free play in young children: looking beyond
fitness and fatness to attention, affiliation, and affect.” Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2005
Jan;159(1):46-50

Hannaford, Carla.  Smart Moves: Why Learning is Not All in Your Head.  Salt Lake City, Utah: Great River Books, 2005.

Healthy Youth! “Childhood Obesity,” U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Health Promotion, Division of Adolescent and School Health. Updated June 03, 2010

Hillman, Charles H.; Castelli, Darla M.; Buck Sarah M. “Aerobic Fitness and Neurocognitive Function in Healthy Preadolescent Children.”Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise:
November 2005 - Volume 37 - Issue 11 - pp 1967-1974 doi: 10.1249/01.mss.0000176680.79702.ce

“Mind Out of Balance, Body Out of Balance.” Tel Aviv University, January 22, 2009

Ortega, F.B., Ruiz, J.R., Castillo, M.J., Sjöström, M. “Physical fitness in childhood and adolescence: a powerful marker.” International Journal of Obesity (2008). 32, 1–11; doi:10.1038/sj.ijo.0803774.

Pearce, Joseph C. Evolution’s End:  Claiming the Potential of Our Intelligence.  New York, NY: Harper Collins Publishers, 1992.
Sibley, B., and Etnier. “The relationship between physical activity and cognition in
children: a meta-analysis.” Pediatric Exercise Science 15:243–253, 2003

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Our specially children's fitness programs provide you with fun and interactive kids exercise and yoga programs designed with the intention of providing children with entertaining outlets to be active and learn how to lead a healthy lifestyle.