Movement is fast becoming a way to fully integrate our brains, making IQ (intelligence quotient) and EQ (emotional quotient) vastly improved for those involved in daily exercise.

At first I was skeptical, but the more I studied brain function, emotions, and movement the more it pointed toward holistic health: cognition, emotion, and motion.

How to Increase IQ and EQ?

The simple version is that when we move during play or exercise, we are forcing our brain to integrate left hemisphere (linear, language, order) with right hemisphere (creativity, body senses), and lower brain function (sensory, instinctual) with higher brain function (cognition, critical thinking).

Even more…

When we do cross-patterning or contralateral movements such as crawling, walking, running, and VersaClimber, we increase the hemispheric communication to a higher level.

Why this is important?

Many people think they should only study or read books to get smarter, but
more and more evidence is pointing to regular activity and exercise for peak brain function and intelligence. Also, IQ (Intelligence Quotient) is important, but without EQ (Emotional Quotient), we will probably be doing intelligent things alone. Emotional quotient is what helps us work better together, and better understand, use, and be okay with our feelings.

Try this out:

• If you are stuck in a mental rut and can’t focus, go for a walk, jog, or just crawl up and down your office’s hallways–not only will this break up the monotony of the office humdrum, provide entertainment to your coworkers, but it will break sharpen your cognitive edge, allowing you to crush that project that takes deep thought and focus.
• When your child is flipping out in the grocery store, play a quick game of tag, chase, or just dance out the tantrum. This should do two things: calm them down and allow your lengthy conversation as to why “we don’t tantrum in the store” to be understood.
• If you keep crying every time the hallmark commercial comes on, or you’re not saddened by The Notebooks ending, run in place until your out of breath, so you can process those emotions with your whole brain.

I am not saying these are perfect solutions to your problems, but your daily movement routines are crucial for complete use of your brain’s capacity.

And lets face it, every time you drive to work, and your on the road with “those idiots”, you realize much of our population could use some extra brain capacity.

We might not be able to fix “them,” but we can choose higher IQ and
EQ for ourselves.

With improved brain function, and the ability to fully integrate our brain into our daily lives, we will connect with others deeper, experience life more vividly, and live out our purpose more completely.

(for more on movement and learning check this link out: http://www.ascd.org/publications/books/104013/chapters/Movement-and-Learning.aspx)

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