Provided by Discover Kids Health, published by ICPA, Inc., written by John Marc
Why do we dread going back to school? The summer months are so much fun, why should school take that fun away?
There are many logical reasons to love and miss the summertime, such as warm weather, freedom from schoolwork, daily meetups with friends, and, of course, going to bed later than usual. Yet there is one very important reason why summer is so great. With summer comes frequent activities that activate the nervous system and move the body!
The body is an amazing thing, and it remembers good days compared to bad days. A good day is when the body moves all around from place to place, doing cartwheels in the lawn and butterfly strokes in the pool. You may not realize it, but your body dreads the idea of sitting still for long periods of time and this can even affect the way you think about school. Your body knows that the start of the school year can often mean long periods of sitting still.
However, just like your teacher, your body wants to help your brain learn, and your body knows that the best way to permanently learn something is by keeping an active nervous system while you learn it. The primary way to activate the nervous system is through movement. Do you ever wonder why people nod their head when they hear something new, or why people look up at the ceiling when they are trying to remember the right answer to a question? These little movements activate the nervous system and help the brain record and recall information.
Knowing this, you and your body can start to work together as a team like never before! During previous school years, in the absence of free movement outdoors, confined to your desk for many hours day after day, your nervous system has had to feel the dead weight of your body build up over it. The nerve cells in your body have gotten used to low engagement with the brain causing the brain to have to learn and remember important things on its own. Each year, your nervous system has been wanting your help to stay active.
The first and most important thing to help improve your school year is to move your body whenever you have the spare time. Stretch in between classes! Roll your shoulders as you sit reading. Elevate your spine while you listen to your teacher talk. And take deep breaths into your abdomen and chest. You can always activate your nervous system with a little conscious attention.
Another thing to do is visit a chiropractor often. Chiropractors know how to help your body structure so that your nervous system stays free and ready to fire and wire with your brain. Remember, you and your body can work together to make the school-year a breeze and something to look forward to!
There are other helpful things to do to keep your mind and body elevated so that you can excel in all your activities. Ask your chiropractor what he knows, and check back in for next month’s newsletter!