Movement is necessary for life. Unfortunately, we now live in a culture that is increasingly sedentary and values people who can sit at desks for hours on end without moving. We have slowly removed physical movement from our schools and made it an “as-time-permits” activity for elementary schools. A child’s brain will not develop appropriately without movement, and adult brains will not thrive without it. It is a well-known fact that an elderly individual will start to deteriorate rapidly once they are immobile.

 

Why is it that movement is so important to us, particularly our young children? When a baby is just conceived, brain development begins. As the fetus continues to grow, movement is what stimulates continued brain development. What we might view as simply the baby moving around in the placenta are actually specific movements necessary to stimulate the growth of neurons and development of neuronal networks. These infant reflex patterns (see the “infant reflexes” page) prepare the baby for birth and for survival in the world. Once the baby is born, movement is the thing that prepares them for crawling and the ultimate stage of becoming upright. Once we are upright, movement continues to be the force that drives development of gross and fine motor skills, and the cerebral cortex (where learning takes place).  Movement also is necessary for myelination of nerve fibers, allowing for ease of message transmission in the brain. This process continues throughout our lifespan.

 

According to Vygostsky and Leontiev, the more a child can naturally, frequently, and suitably move, the faster their thinking and speech skills develop. Gross motor skills are mediated by the Cerebellum, located in the oldest part of the brain. Difficulty with automatic movement patterns and gross motor skills will prevent the brain from easily developing higher order thinking, which take place in the cerebral cortex.

 

It is estimated that 15-20% of children in America have a learning difficulty of some kind. These learning difficulties exist in the absence of a gross intellectual or physical impairment. In other words, there isn’t an “easy” explanation. In my experience, and in the research of many, it has been documented that these children have problems with movement patterns as described by Masgutova or in retained infant reflexes. More information on this specific topic is available on the infant reflexes page.

 

By engaging in daily movement activities, sometimes very specific movement patterns, we can assist the brain in myelination, integrate reflexes that have been retained, and make learning and living easier. Information on these types of movements is available on other pages on this site. Keep Reading!