In previous blog posts, I established how exercise helps in brain growth and development and why exercise is critical for being well mentally and physically.
Just how important is movement to learning? Let’s take a look at the vestibular and cerebellar system.
The vestibular system is the first sensory system to fully develop. This system controls the sense of movement and balance. The inner ear’s semicircular canals and the vestibular nuclei are an information gathering source for movements. The semicircular canals detect rotational movements of the head. Head movements cause the semicircular canals to stimulate nerves which transmit impulses to the cerebellum.
The cerebellum plays an important role in motor control. The cerebellum is a baseball sized structure in the brain. Think of it as the control center for balance and movement coordination. The cerebellum closely modulates the vestibular nuclei along with retinal (eye) activity and somatosensory (muscle) information. A normal vestibular system allows an individual to stabilize the eyes and the body during movements of the head.
The interactions between these systems and the rest of the brain help us maintain balance, turn thoughts into actions, and coordinate movements. Our children should be engaging in activities that stimulate these systems. Movements that stimulate the inner ear include swinging, jumping, rolling, spinning, crawling, rocking, and tumbling. As parents we should be encouraging our children to engage in these types of movements.
An underdeveloped vestibular system may cause a child to have difficulty staying still in a chair. This child may fidget or have trouble focusing during circle time. It can also affect a child’s pencil grasp, hand dominance, speech articulation, sensory processing, letter directionality, spatial awareness and muscle tone.
Movement activates the balance and muscle systems which in turn, through the cerebellum and brain stem “wakes up” the cortex and tells the brain to be responsive and pay attention. When the brain is activated we are ready to learn. Let’s encourage our kids to run, spin, jump, roll, and dance for both their physical and mental health.
Family Time Fitness provides pre-planned lessons that include many movements and activities that will stimulate and help mature the vestibular and cerebellar system. Check out one of our lessons and see how we can help improve your family’s fitness.
