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Examining How Exercise Can Benefit The Learning Process Introduction: ...

Examining how Exercise can Benefit the Learning Process
Introduction:
Recent years have seen a dramatic increase in our knowledge about the human brain and learning, with findings from neuroscience giving us further insight into the nature of learning (McGilchrist et al., 2006, p.59) and proceeding at a much faster rate than scientists predicted ten years ago (Sousa, 2006, p.1). Studies have shown that the brain has a degree of plasticity which enables it to be changed and moulded throughout life as a result of positive interactions with the environment. This point has been made by Abbott, who points out:
One major discovery which has revolutionised the way we think about the brain and how it learns, has been the fact that we know it has plasticity, which means that the physical structure of the brain actually changes as a result of experience. The brain will change if stimulated through interaction with the environment. (Abbott, 1994, p.63). The plasticity of the brain means that we can either develop our emotional world properly or not develop it and risk serious consequences (Jensen, 2006, p.85). This has clear implications for the learning process and the best way to facilitate it.
The aim of this paper is to show how exercise can benefit the learning process and the implications this could have for teaching and learning.
The Brain and Learning:
In recent years our knowledge about the brain and its role in learning has increased dramatically. The human brain is an extremely complex organ, composed of billions of cells, and while they have common characteristics, no two brains are the same. Techniques have been developed which have enabled scientists to look at both the structure and the function of the brain. The brain is the most metabolically active organ in the body, consisting largely of the breakdown of glucose (Chung et al., 2004, p.280). The brain has also been shown to be a self developing organ. Through the development of neural networks, the brain can go on to develop more of these thus making itself more complex (Gazzaniga, 1992). The role of exercise in improving the learning process through development of particular areas of the brain is beginning to be recognised and has seen application with children and adults in a variety of settings.
As a result of the increasing levels of and capabilities of research we have learned a great deal about the areas of the brain that are active in the learning process. Among many insights research has told us that:
The human brain continually reorganises itself on the basis of input, a process called neuroplasticity, which continues throughout life but is most rapid in the early years;
Emotions affect learning, memory and recall;
Movement and exercise improve mood, increase brain mass, and enhance cognitive processing;
Intelligence and creativity are separate abilities, both of which can be modified by the environment.
(Sousa, 2006, p.5).

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