Physical movement stimulates long-term memory and recall because it has been associated in the human brain with survival. This has been supported by brain imaging studies.^[2] This idea is confirmed by findings in studies that show that exercise can shape muscles and potentially strengthen some areas of the brain, growing brain cells and increasing alertness in the process. It is said that the harder the task is for students, the greater the cerebellar activity.^[3] Specifically, short movement breaks for the brain is said to lead to more opportunities for information processing and increased memory formation.^[4] It contributes to the overall cognitive development of the students because it sends oxygen, water, and glucose to the brain, helping it grow and improve mood and motivation.^[5] In addition, the area of the brain that processes movement is also the part that processes cognitive tasks.^[6] The link between movement and the cognitive development has been proven as early as the 1960s during Richard Held and Alan Hein's experiments that revealed the role of physical activity on the development of brain networks that are important for adaptive mental function.^[7]

Students through brain breaks to engage in physical activities can facilitate physical development. In combination with the socialization, which also contributes to the learners' socio-emotional development - movements offer a quick and convenient way to support the rapid development, especially among young learners.^[5] This can be demonstrated in the efficacy of using physical tasks to address the needs of hyperactive students because they are able to release stress and energy, allowing them to focus on their studies without causing disruption in the class.^[8] Movements also eliminate lethargy that results from sitting for long periods of time. There are recorded cases, for instance, that show marked improvement in school performance for learners who were made to do physical tasks such as walking in mid-afternoon.^[9]

Younger students can greatly benefit from engaging in various movement-based activities that reinforce their learning. Brain-based learning advocates for the incorporation of movement in educational settings. According to research from the University of Wisconsin at Stevens Point, one fundamental aspect of brain-based learning is that learning involves the entire body. This means that movement, diet, attention spans, and neurochemicals all play a role in the learning process. Another crucial principle is that complex learning is enhanced by challenges but hindered by stress. The concept of enrichment suggests that the brain has the capacity to form new connections throughout life, and that challenging and stimulating experiences, coupled with appropriate feedback, are optimal for cognitive development. Furthermore, it's noted that cognitive skills are strengthened by engaging in activities involving music and motor skills.

Supporting these ideas, both the U.S. National Institute of Health and the Mayo Clinic advocate for exercise and movement as effective means to reduce stress levels. Given that elementary-aged children can effectively absorb only 15 to 20 minutes of material at a time, incorporating regular brain breaks into lessons becomes essential. Implementing brain breaks into the classroom routine offers multiple benefits for both students and teachers alike. These breaks not only provide opportunities for learning but also allow students to return to tasks feeling refreshed and energized. For enhanced science and math lessons, educators may consider incorporating Drums Alive Academic Beats for innovative ideas.

A ground breaking method in movement-based instruction is the use of science choreography. Science choreography is a technique that uses movement to teach science. A team of scientists, educators, dancers, and choreographers worked together to develop movement-based activities inspired by dance to teach science concepts.^[10]

Chart: Sample movements and classroom applications

A study by Vujičić, Peić, and Petrić compares movement-based integrated learning in early childhood education across two groups attending city kindergartens. A group emphasizing movement and a control group with standard integrated learning practices. In the experimental group, the gym is organized to enable children’s exploration, with the teacher taking on an indirect facilitator role, whereas the control group follows traditional teaching methods. Results of the research showed that children in the movement-based group exhibited high levels of engagement, promoting motor skill development and enjoyment in learning, while the control group demonstrated less active participation. A content analysis method analysed the data that was collected through photography and videography. This research highlights the influence of movement-based integrated learning on the quality of the educational process in early-aged children attending city kindergartens, emphasizing the importance of considering physical environments in early education for enhancing learning experiences. ^[11]

Additional benefits for special-needs learners edit

Many special-needs learners are stuck in counterproductive mental states, and movement can be a quick way to counteract these. Movements, such as those involved in playing active games, will activate the brain across a wide variety of areas. A study by Reynolds and colleagues (2003) found that children with dyslexia were assisted by a movement program. Those in the intervention group showed significantly greater improvement in dexterity, reading, verbal fluency, and semantic fluency than those in the control group. The exercising group also made substantial gains on national standardized tests of reading, writing, and comprehension in comparison with students in the previous year.

• Psychomotor learning

• Brain Breaks - Original for elementary classrooms from the Michigan Dept. of Education
• Brain Breaks - 2005 for elementary classrooms from the Michigan Dept. of Education
• Take 10! from the International Life Sciences Institute Research Foundation
• Dr. John Ratey Harvard Brain Researcher
• Naperville Central High School- Movement and Learning Website
• WikEd page of Movement in Learning
• Pumping Up The Brain, CBS News February 4, 2009
• Moran, C. (2008, March 11). Runners add a dash of fitness to school day. The San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved March 26, 2008, from [1]
• Courchesne, E., & Allen, G. (1997). Prediction and preparation, fundamental functions of the cerebellum. Learning and Memory, 4, 1–35.
• Chaouloff, F. (1989). Physical exercise and brain monoamines: A review. Acta Physiologica Scandinavica, 137, 1–13.
• Desmond, J., Gabrielli, J., Wagner, A., Ginier, B., & Glover, G. (1997). Lobular patterns of cerebellar activation in verbal working-memory and finger tapping tasks as revealed by functional MRI. Journal of Neuroscience, 17(24), 9675–9685.
• Flanagan, J. R., Vetter, P., Johansson, R. S., & Wolpert, D. M. (2003). Prediction preceded control in motor learning. Current Biology, 13, 146–150
• Fordyce, D. E., & Wehner, J. M. (1993). Physical activity enhances spatial learning performance with an associated alteration in hippocampal protein kinase C activity in C57BL/6 and DBA/2 mice. Brain Research, 619(1–2), 111–119.
• Greenough, W. T., & Anderson, B. J. (1991). Cerebellar synaptic plasticity: Relation to learning versus neutral activity. Annals of the New York Academy of Science, 627: 231-247
• Ivry, R. (1997). Cerebellar timing systems. International Review of Neurobiology, 41, 555–573.
• Jensen, E. (2000). Moving with the brain in mind. Education leadership, 58(3): 34-37
• Jensen, E. (2005). Teaching with the brain in mind (Revised 2nd ed.)Chapter 4: Movement and Learning. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. Retrieved from http://www.ascd.org/publications/books/104013/chapters/Movement-and-Learning.aspx
• Kempermann, G. (2002). Why new neurons? Possible functions for adult hippocampal neurogenesis. Journal of Neuroscience, 22(3), 635–638.
• Kesslak, J., Patrick, V., So, J., Cotman, C., & Gomez-Pinilla, F. (1998). Learning upregulates brain-derived neurotrophic factor messenger ribonucleic acid: A mechanism to facilitate encoding and circuit maintenance. Behavioral Neuroscience, 112(4), 1012–1019.
• Krock, L. P., & Hartung, G. H. (1992). Influence of post-exercise activity on plasma catecholamines, blood pressure and heart rate in normal subjects. Clinical Autonomic Research, 2(2), 89–97.
• Schmahmann, J. D. (1997). The cerebellum and cognition, 1st edition. International Review of Neurobiology, ISBN 9780123668417
• Middleton, F., & Strick, P. (1994). Anatomical evidence for cerebellar an basal ganglia involvement in higher brain functions. Journal of Science 226(5184): 458-461
• Reynolds, D., Nicolson, R. I., & Hambly, H. (2003). Evaluation of an exercise-based treatment for children with reading difficulties. Dyslexia, 9(1), 48–71.
• Saklofske, D., & Kelly, I. (1992). The effects of exercise and relaxation on energetic and tense arousal. Personality and Individual Differences, 13, 623–625
• Tong, L., Shen, H., Perreau, V. M., Balazs, R., & Cotman, C. W. (2001). Effects of exercise on geneexpression profile in the rat hippocampus. Neurobiology of Disease, 8(6), 1046–1056.

• An example of how this theory can be utilized
• Moving to Improve
• The Benefits of Movement in the Classroom
• Movement in Learning: Revitalizing the Classroom
• Movement and Learning: What's the Connection?

This article is based on an earlier version originally posted at WikEd and reposted here by the author. The Effect of Movement on Cognitive Performance. (2018, April 20). NCBI. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5919946/