I am reading “brain rules” by John Medina, as I have become increasingly more fascinated by how our brain reacts to various stimulus. That is a fancy way of saying “what happens when you do x.” This lead me to wonder more about, “when is the best time to learn? What are the optimal conditions for adults to learn?” There are many more questions but this is a blog afterall not a Phd dissertation. I will keep it brief and fun as result.
As it turns out , my fascination is not a new one and many have gone before me. Each trying to answer those very questions. Thankfully, they have Phd level education and share their findings. In John’s book, brain rules, (yes, it is printed in all lower case) he literally gives us insights to rules for a higher functioning brain. The first rule is, you can guess by my title for this blog post, is exercise. Rule #1 is Exercise boosts brain power.
Exercise boosts brain power (pg 28). This must be why at 4pm in the afternoon our brain is likely tired and looking for distractions. The idea of exercise boosting brain power is interesting when we think of a child’s school day and our work day. John goes on to say we are still wired to think we need exercise on the level of running 12 miles a day. I know that sounds daunting to me. However, learning while I run?
I might just find a way to access learning material while I am on the move. Enter podcasts and books on tape. These learning options/modalities have been around for years. John suggests learning while walking on a treadmill. Imagine gymrooms instead of classrooms. I am poking fun at the thought but it looks a lot like my evening activities 3x/week.
I am only on Rule #1 in the book but it is proving interesting. Moving increases cognition. Hmm, there is something to this mobile learning afterall.
www.brainrules.net for more information on the book.
