Boosting Student Mental and Brain Health Is Easier Than You Think
/Student mental health is the number one concern among K-12 teachers and administration. Mental health and learning are connected in many ways. Mental health difficulties such as anxiety and depression disrupt learning and hinder cognition. Often this disruption enhances the effects and challenges students face. On the other hand, the academic challenges often lead to self-esteem issues, effectively compounding the effects of mental health disorders.
Over a year of online learning and isolation has contributed to the concern around the mental health of students. The return to in-person learning has heightened recent concerns. Students who were once able to maintain focus long enough to read and work, or focus can’t seem to sit still. Many schools have taken necessary steps towards increasing their mental health resources and improving school culture. While these steps are of great importance, there’s another opportunity that is often overlooked.
Jumping Rope Leads to Greater Well-Being
Well-being is an umbrella term that includes the physical, mental, and emotional health of an individual. It’s well-known that physical activity can increase well-being. The release of endorphins aids in reducing stress and improving mood. However, there is a growing body of research that finds high-intensity interval training (HIIT)has a profound effect on well-being, especially in adolescents. Jumping Rope is one of the most beneficial, accessible, and simple HIIT workouts there is.
One study saw a decrease in stress and increase in well-being among adolescents engaged in HIIT workouts twice a week for 25 minutes when compared to the control group. As an added, if not equally important benefit, the academic performance of the students who completed HIIT workouts twice a week improved.
The application and implementation of the jumping rope lends itself to several other practices that enhance a student’s sense of well-being. For instance, incorporating opportunities for student autonomy, competence, and connection by allowing for things like music choice, specific technique selection, the incorporation of challenging but achievable exercises, and facilitating teamwork. These elements all contributed to better overall well-being of students.
Can Jumping Rope Actually Make You Smarter?
Jumping rope has many well-known physical advantages. However, the mental and cognitive benefits are not as recognized, but they should be. While jumping rope won’t allow you to magically recall things that were never learned, it will improve brain function in multiple ways.
What if I told you jumping rope can increase learning and promote academic achievement?
Sounds too good to be true, right? Fortunately, it’s not. Here’s how it works. The coordination involved in jumping rope generates new neural connections in the plastic brains of adolescents. The exercise activates both hemispheres of the brain. This leads to an improvement in skills such as spatial awareness and working memory. It also increases attention and overall cognitive ability. When these skills are enhanced and applied, it has positive effects on learning and academic achievement.
But that’s not all. Jumping rope causes the brain to utilize more neurons. Neurons are the little information messengers that send information from one area of the brain to another as well as throughout the entire nervous system. The more neurons that are dedicated to tasks like reading, math, or science, the faster the brain can process information. Although processing speed is not an indicator of intelligence. However, slower processing speeds present challenges when attempting tasks related to planning, goal setting, decision making, starting tasks, and paying attention.
Conversely, faster processing speed increases the ability to do simple or formerly-learned tasks with ease. The faster the processing speed, the more efficiently you are able to think and learn.
Let’s put all this in practical terms. A faster processing speed from jumping rope can lead to increased ability in:
● Recognizing simple patterns
● Engaging in visual exploration tasks
● Test taking
● Basic math
● Applying logic (even in stressful situations)
Some challenges brought about by slower processing speeds can look like:
● Taking longer than average on assignments
● Difficulty following instructions
● Poor test performance
One study found connections between fitness level and task performance of students. Students who were more fit also demonstrated increased attention, concentration, and time on task. In addition, struggling readers showed improved reading skills.
Instruction time is valuable. Students have so much to learn in so little time. It seems like there’s always something contending for their learning time. But if setting aside as little as an hour a week for jumping rope could improve learning in the classroom, wouldn’t the hour be worth it? Think about how much more curriculum could be covered if student time on task increased across the board or if students became more skillful at applying logic.
What a dream, I know!
Take The Next Step
Now that you’re aware of the immense benefits jumping rope has on the overall mental health and brain function of students, it’s time to take action. If you’re wondering where to begin, below are a few pointers if you’re planning to begin implementing jump rope into the school day.
Start slow. Students new to jumping rope can find it challenging. Begin with the basics. Allow students to become familiar with the rope, the movements, and the tempo before engaging in more difficult jump rope exercises.
Switch it up. Once students begin to develop their skills, vary the routine. This can be done in many ways. The introduction of alternating legs, increasing speed, or incorporating a more advanced technique are all ways to appropriately challenge students and keep students engaged.
Record the progress. As I’m sure you know, nothing motivates students like a visual representation of their progress. Find a creative way to track and record individual improvements.
If taking on the task of introducing a jump rope program all on your own seems a bit too daunting, Rope Release has a jump rope program that can fit your needs. We are an educational consulting company. Our focus is innovative program strategy, design, development, management, and evaluation. Whether you’re an educator, administrator, or stakeholder, Rope Release is available to partner with you to get students active and engaged.
Visit us to speak with one of our consultants. We are excited to bring innovation within the arenas of culture, education, and sport.