Research confirms that physical activity helps children’s brains focus and learn. Teach children that a daily habit of exercise prepares the mind for school work. Begin the day with habits of movement. Parents and caregivers can start the day practicing gentle stretching while sharing how movement in the body helps our brains to wake up. Once children are dressed and fed, make a game of skipping around the house singing, “Body motion is great brain potion.” A fun exercise that reminds children that vigorous physical activity prepares the brain for schoolwork can nurture lifelong habits. Teachers are skilled at noticing when children’s focus is waning. Often, a jumping jack break followed by three slow breaths helps children regain focus. The benefits are enormous. Mindful exercise breaks help our brains regulate and prepare to focus. Brain breaks benefit both adults and children. Encourage children to run, jump, or skip before beginning their homework. Body movement that increases our heart rate promotes the best conditions for attention, memory, and focus.

Help children to learn when they can benefit from a movement break by sharing observations such as, “You’ve been watching YouTube for 30 minutes—time to move our bodies. Let’s skip.” Be creative. On cold winter days, when an increased tendency to sit indoors may occur, be sure to take movement and exercise breaks after periods of sitting. When watching a movie, take a break, pause the show and march in place, practice yoga postures, or briskly walk or skip around your house. Encourage children to take turns as Llama Locomotion Captains leading the exercise breaks with their personal choice of movement practices. When children make exercise a daily habit, they strengthen movement as a coping tool. And, when parents, caregivers, and teachers embrace a playful attitude toward exercise, everyone benefits!