Exercise and kids brains

🍁Our walk to school this morning was wet and grey, but we got to see geese!!

🍁Since our kids were little, we've aimed to use active transport as much as possible, both for health and environmental reasons

🍁It takes us 30min to walk to school, and would take 5min to drive - but by the time you factor in getting kids into /out of cars and finding a park, this only means about 15min extra to walk!!

🍁The morning walk puts us all in a good mood, we get to spend time chatting and bonding, and we get fresh air and exercise

🍁Did you know exercise is actually proven to improve kids (and adults) learning, memory, attention, planning, and creativity?

🍁It also literally increases the size of your hippocampus (memory part of the brain)

🍁It does this via boosting levels of BDNF (stimulates brain growth and connections), triggering the creation of new brain cells, and activating genes responsible for neuroplasticity (brains ability to change and form new connections)

🍁It also has a significant beneficial effect on kids with learning issues and ADHD, via the same pathways

🍁Not to mention the benefits for overall health and the environment 😉

🍁Even substituting part of your morning commute to be active can help ie parking 10min from school /day care /work and walking, or cycling some days, or going for a walk after school rather than heading straight home

🍁If you aren't sure, try setting your family a challenge to do more active commuting for a fortnight, and see how you find it!!

🍁This is an amazing article that goes more into the science of the effects of exercise on kids brains

https://www.parentingscience.com/exercise-for-children.html