Chapter 12 - Super Body, Super Brain for the Family

When I was a child, I struggled with my weight. I was moody. I was clumsy. And I knew I would never be good at the sport I loved passionately if I didn’t slim down. I was able to transform my own life—and I want to help you help your children transform theirs.

This is especially timely, because American children are facing a national health crisis. The number of overweight children has doubled, and the number of overweight adolescents has tripled, since 1980; 16 percent of children and adolescents age six through nineteen are overweight. As a result, type 2 diabetes has increased dramatically in youngsters, setting them up for a lifetime of complications and other health issues.

A study published in the British Journal of Medicine in 2008 showed that “children who showed poor hand control, poor coordination, and clumsiness at age 7 in testing were more likely to be obese adults. Those with poorer functioning motor skills at age 11 also tended to be obese at age 33.”

There is also increasing scientific evidence showing a strong correlation between physical exercise and cognition, as discussed in chapter 1. Exercise can increase levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and other growth factors, stimulate neurogenesis, and contribute to brain plasticity in growing children, particularly through the late teens, when the cerebellum is still growing.

Child psychiatrist Gregory Lombardo, M.D., adds, “At younger ages, the brain has greater plasticity, so that the new learning is both easier, more exactly learned, and is more likely to have enduring effects on a child’s future functioning.”

But even as we know that getting enough physical exercise and movement is even more crucial for all children now, the terrible truth is that many children now live sedentary lives ruled by computers and video games and overburdened with academic demands, leading not only to poor health but to increased cases of stress, anxiety, and depression. According to the National Association of Sport and Physical Education, schools bowing to pressures from the federal government in terms of academic performance or that have lost funding often have no choice but to cut out gym class altogether. This is a scary concept, since lack of exercise and ensuing health issues are placing our children at risk for being one of the first generations to live shorter lives than their parents.

So I decided to do something about it.

The seeds of determination were planted when I’d go to my clients’ homes in the late afternoon or evening, when the kids would be home from school and wanting their parents’ attention. After one particularly gruesome afternoon of slammed doors and complaining, I had an epiphany: why not have the kids work out alongside their parents?

The results were instantaneous. Whining was replaced with wows. The kids were as challenged as their parents were, since they had to think while doing every single movement. Plus, they had the longed-for benefit of spending time having fun with their parents.

Super Body, Super Brain in Schools

Once I saw how well the children of my private clients were progressing, I realized that this program could easily be shared with larger groups of children—in schools. The more research I did about brain function and motor skills, under Dr. Lombardo’s guidance, the more I realized I could develop a powerful program that could help children improve their motor skills, which would in turn improve their learning ability, memory retrieval, and academic achievement—and give them increased self-confidence.

The first school I worked in was PS 277, an elementary school in the Bronx, New York. The physical education teacher, Ms. Euridice Johnson, told me how difficult it was for her to get all students to participate in PE classes, since many of the students were too embarrassed by their lack of motor-skill dexterity to want to play sports.

I explained that all Super Body, Super Brain exercises were carefully designed with coordination challenges not only to improve motor skills but also to promote social interaction and very specifically to improve children’s sensory systems and proprioception, two critical factors for brain development. Not only do children quickly master the movements, but the playful aspect makes them not seem like exercise. Without realizing it, when children are forced to think while doing any kind of movement, they’re making their brains work harder, particularly linking the cerebellum (responsible for balance and coordination) to the frontal lobes (responsible for higher thinking and decision making). Their attention span increases while their fidgeting decreases.

Even more important for Ms. Johnson’s concerns, the exercises are noncompetitive, so they work for all children, no matter what their size, shape, or innate athletic ability. Children who don’t like sports or who’ve been teased for being uncoordinated will immediately be able to do the routines well, improving their self-confidence along with their motor skills. These exercises are the great equalizer.

What many coaches and school administrators don’t realize is that school sports are often based on unique as well as advanced motor skills. At young ages, some kids have perfect mastery of these skills, but many kids don’t—or they might be good at one kind of sport (like gymnastics or tennis) and not so good at another (basketball or soccer). Kids without advanced motor skills are usually branded as clumsy, uncoordinated, and useless for teamwork. Because these kids are usually teased and bullied and the last to be picked for teams, not only do they feel terrible about their athletic ability, but their sitting on the sidelines gives them even less time to practice any skills. Being told that they’re uncoordinated then becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy, setting these children up for a lifetime of inactivity and the belief that they’re never going to be any good at exercising.

After a month of trying the program, Ms. Johnson called to tell me that all the kids were doing the same exercises, were sweating, and were having fun playing specific exercises that I designed to improve social interaction. Even better, a year later the Bronx district superintendent presented the results in an official report to the board of education, claiming that he saw “a remarkable improvement in the Physical Education Curriculum contributing not only to the children’s physical condition and stamina but to their social interaction and a great impact in the classroom.” The report added that the students improved 26 percent in reading and writing skills, showing a correlation between the exercises and their academic performance.

PS 277 principal Cheryl Tyler told me, “Your program gives students that possibility of succeeding—and this is why we like it.”

Since 2008, I’ve trained over fifty PE teachers in New York, Pennsylvania, and Texas, and in Australia and Spain, in how to use my program, providing specific motor-skills-stimulating exercises for ages five and up. Because the school program starts out simple and develops more complexity only very gradually, no one feels left out—because no one is left behind. It’s also wonderful that many children who found themselves on the bench soon develop enough motor skills to improve in a wide range of sports, too.

How Super Body, Super Brain Can Help Your Children

The Super Body, Super Brain exercises help children improve in the following different areas:

Motor Skills: Motor skills are movements that involve the use of the hands and precise hand-eye coordination. Since all the exercises actively engage motor skills, the balance and coordination that kids develop may help improve their brain functioning in attention, memory, multitasking, spatial memory, and decision making.

For example, repetitively raising heels and arms at the same time will improve attention and multitasking skills. This could correlate to better listening and/or handwriting skills in the classroom, or better multitasking skills, such as writing down dictation from the teacher.

Brain Stimulation: The cerebellum is the area of the brain responsible for voluntary physical movement, and it is connected by neurons to all parts of the cortex—the area of the brain responsible for higher-order thinking.

super body, super brain and neurological and learning disorders in children

One of the most potentially life-changing aspects of the brain is its capacity to rewire itself. This has profound implications for children who suffer from neurological disorders—from learning problems, attention disorders, anxiety, and depression to bipolar disorder or autism. Could their brains potentially be healed from within?

           According to Dr. Lombardo, author of the book Understanding the Mind of Your Bipolar Child, bipolar disorder, which currently affects over four million children in America alone, is a condition afflicting the entire brain and, most important, the coordination of different parts of the brain. It’s thought that fluctuating moodiness (as well as problems with reading and handwriting) are affected by poor integration of the brain’s left and right hemispheres. The Super Body, Super Brain exercises advance gradually, so children imperceptibly learn to perform more and more complex exercises. As motor skills and balance improve, children’s power of concentration and attention improve as well.

           “This cannot help but improve problems with visual integration and with fine motor coordination and sensory-motor coordination,” Dr. Lombardo explains, “yielding improvement is some children’s reading and writing, both in the sense of handwriting and in the sense of composition.”

           Improved motor skills, balance, and coordination are particularly important for bipolar children, as well as those with ADD, as these children tend to be awkward, bullied, and isolated from group activities. They can do these exercises freed from any comparison with other children, since they’re competing only with themselves. And because the exercises are fun, children don’t see them as a chore, improving their skills without even realizing it.

           Regular, movement-oriented exercise can also help some of the approximately fifteen million children with learning disabilities in this country. Dr. Eric Jensen, a pioneer scientist studying brain function and movement, concluded that movement, rhythms, physical activity, and exercise can help control many conditions such as ADHD, ADD, dyslexia, and hyperactivity—because movement helps facilitate a better integration between both brain hemispheres, improving balance, coordination, and concentration ability.

           I am also working with several autistic children in New York City. Dr. Lombardo says, “The severity and the range of symptoms seen in children grouped under the diagnosis of autism can vary. However, one of the most common is difficulty with motor coordination and difficulty integrating movement with perception of space. Some clinicians believe that stereotyped movements, such as flapping, spinning, or head banging, are attempts on the part of autistic children to locate themselves in space or to manage the anxiety resulting from profound spatial disorientation. An important source of this disorientation is poor coordination of the left and right cerebral hemispheres, which affects three-dimensional vision, balance, motor coordination (both fine and gross), and the ability to maintain concentration while moving or while having to distinguish details in three-dimensional space.”

           The Super Body, Super Brain exercises improve integration of the right and left hemispheres, gradually building coordination, balance, and strength.

           All children can benefit from exercise: it makes them feel better since it stimulates the release of endorphins, the neurotransmitters that make us feel good and that reduce the symptoms of depression. Exercise also tends to raise levels of the brain chemicals serotonin, epinephrine, and dopamine.

In addition, active children learn faster. In landmark studies that Charles Hillman and his colleagues published in 2009, they reported that physical fitness (specifically, aerobic capacity) improved cognition and brain function, often leading to improved academic achievement. Exercise appeared to prime the brain for optimal learning potential.

How well the information flows between right and left hemispheres is crucial for learning capabilities. Dr. Lombardo tells us: “We’re finding that an increasing number of children have what’s called a nonverbal learning disorder, which affects processing, and that, I think, in many cases has to do with poor or slow coordination between the right and left hemisphere. What Super Body, Super Brain is doing is deliberately increasing traffic across the hemispheres, and that traffic is cognitive as well as motor. I think this is something that can help some of the problems that kids have—not necessarily attention deficit disorder per se, but other learning issues that are mistaken for ADD.”

one family’s super body, super brain experience

I met the Clausons when I was teaching workshops at the Mall of America in Minnesota in 2007, and I’ve stayed in touch with them over the years. It’s been very rewarding watching their progress.

           Brooke, age ten: “I like doing the workouts with my mom and sisters. The more I do them, the more energy I have. I think it has helped me to play better for my basketball team. I pay better attention when I am playing and get less tired running up and down the court.”

           Kayla, age thirteen: “My goal is to use the workouts to improve my posture and overall strength. I am not in any school sports, so it gives me a chance to be more active. I cross-country ski for fun, and the workouts have helped improve my balance and coordination. I might even join the school ski team next year.”

           Cassie, age sixteen: “Since I have started doing the workout, I’ve seen a lot of self-improvement. It has helped my endurance as well as my concentration levels. When I use it in the morning, it helps me pay more attention in school. It also has helped me improve my basketball game and lacrosse skills, and my coordination and my balance, too. The steps are fun and easy to follow, but it is an intense workout with great results.”

           Gary, dad, age forty-five: “Before I began doing the workouts, I was frequently tired during the workday. Since I have been doing the workouts my energy level has increased dramatically and I’ve been able to focus better at work. The exercises are engaging and make you think. Plus, I’m not as tired at the end of the day when I get home.”

           Amy, mom, age forty-three: “I never enjoyed going to a gym, as it was hard to fit into my schedule, nor have I been gifted with great balance or coordination—so Michael’s exercises are perfect for me. They’ve helped me improve my core body strength and balance, and they’re mentally engaging, unlike any of the other workout programs we tried and didn’t like.

           “We are a very busy family, and like most, it’s a struggle to keep the kids off the TV and computer. But we now set limits and include the Super Body, Super Brain exercises in our household routine. It’s awesome that this system combines three aspects—strength training, cardio, and mental stimulation—in the same program, and that our entire family can do it. My kids are so engaged with it that I no longer have to beg them to join in. Even better, I’ve seen improved motor skills, balance, and coordination in all of them. I also love that you do not need a lot of equipment for this program, so we can do it on vacations, too.”

Cardiovascular Benefits: Cardiovascular benefits seen with any regular aerobic exercise are particularly important in school-age children.

Type 2 diabetes, caused by decreased physical activity and poor nutrition leading to obesity, has reached epidemic proportions in children. When children gain too much weight due to poor nutrition, particularly by eating a diet high in simple carbohydrates and fat and low in fruits and vegetables, the number of fat cells they have increases. (While experts once thought your number of fat cells was set at birth, they now know that it is possible to either lose existing fat cells or grow new ones. With adults, this number is fixed, but fat cell size is what increases.) Which means, unfortunately, that once children have an excessive number of fat cells, it becomes even harder to reverse obesity later in life.

Incorporating regular cardio exercise is important not only to burn calories and keep weight down, but for heart and circulatory health. I’d like to hope that the more a child exercises (and likes it), the more likely exercise will become a good habit for a lifetime.

You can easily add more fun physical activity into your entire family’s daily routine, since the exercises here have been designed for parents to do together with their children. In only ten minutes a day, you will give your entire family incredible benefits for your brains and your bodies.

When Will My Kids See Results?

If you do only two or three sessions of no more than ten to twenty minutes each week, you will notice measurable results in as little as four weeks. But it’s more likely that you will notice results right away as your children gain confidence, particularly as their motor skills improve, and a sense of pride in their accomplishment.

After ten weeks, you should expect to see:

002 greater physical strength and endurance

002 improved cardiovascular function and control of weight gain

002 improvement in balance and coordination

002 improvement in the perception of the body and its position in space

002 improvement in concentration and attention

002 improvement in self-esteem and mood

002 reduced risk for sports injury

002 lower blood pressure and resting heart rate

002 more strength and stamina

002 improved attention, concentration, learning skills, and memory

002 increased ability to multitask

Parents/Children Super Body, Super Brain Circuit

Follow the directions. Sometimes you’ll start with your right leg and arm, sometimes with your left. All the circuits have been deliberately designed so that both sides of your body are worked out equally.

002 Rest for twenty to thirty seconds between each exercise.

002 It may take you a few days to master this circuit. Don’t worry; you’ll soon be able to do all these exercises easily.

002 Make lots of noise! It’s OK to sing, shout, holler, and whoop as you clap and move.

STEP 1: MIND-SET

Parents should help guide their children through this empowering visualization sequence.

Both of you close your eyes and visualize a beautiful park full of many fun things to do, and then visualize yourself lying down in the clean, green, sweet-smelling grass.

Concentrate on your breathing as follows:

For ten breaths, silently say, “In and out” every time you inhale or exhale.

Visualize your feet for ten seconds.

Visualize an orange for ten seconds.

Visualize a sun full of light, and end up with a smile that will transition to a loud laugh.

In every visualization, breathe deeply and say to yourself, “I am going to do my best. I know I can do it.” Breathe deeply.

STEP 2: ALWAYS STRETCH BEFORE YOU START

Stretching not only loosens you up but also sends a signal to your brain that you’re ready to work out.

Standing tall and straight, place your feet more than twice your shoulder width apart, arms at shoulder height and extended straight out.

Bend your torso down, and then reach down with your arms and touch your ankles.

Hold the stretch for ten seconds. Then, when you come up, say a loud “Ahh.” Breathe deeply.

STEP 3: ENERGY BOOSTER: CLAP + BALANCE

You can do this exercise whenever you feel sluggish during the day, too.

From a semi-squat-plié position, with your arms down at your sides, clap between your legs.

Stand up, and then raise your heels while simultaneously raising your arms to clap overhead. Don’t forget to smile!

Reps: 10

Every count should be coordinated with a loud voice. You can count from one to ten or shout out positive ideas like “Let’s do it,” “We can do it,” and “Come on.”

Do your clapping with as much speed as possible.

STEP 4: EXERCISE CIRCUITS

These exercises can all be done inside, in your backyard, or in a park.

All the Exercises Are Good for:

Brain: balance (proprioception and movement), concentration (multitasking), crossing the midline (left and right brain hemisphere integration), hand-eye coordination, kinesthetic awareness (knowing where your body is in space), sensory system / proprioception stimulation (particularly when eyes are closed)

Body: cardiovascular endurance; core strength; calves, front and inner thighs, glutes, hamstrings, postural alignment, shoulders

1. Monkey + Partners Clap

Pick a distance of ten feet between point A and point B. (Mark them with pillows if you like.) Face your child, standing three feet away.

In the semi-squat-plié position, clap your child’s opposite hands ten times while jumping up.

Without stopping, move your body laterally as fast as possible to point B, and then clap your child’s opposite hands ten more times. This is one rep.

Reps: 2

Kids under ten can make monkey noises while moving from point A to point B. (Parents and older kids can, too!)

2. Opposite Arm and Leg Raise

Stand tall, with your feet close together, arms at your sides.

Raise your right arm above your head while simultaneously bending your left knee up at a ninety-degree angle, foot parallel to the floor, and yell, “I am strong!” with each rep.

Return to the starting position, and then repeat on the opposite side. This is one rep.

Reps: 12

3. Hands on Shoulders, Knees Up

Stand tall, facing your child, and then place your hands on his or her shoulders.

At the same time, have both partners raise one knee up until it is bent at a ninety-degree angle, and then put it down and repeat with the other leg. This is one rep.

Reps: 10

Try to do this sequence as quickly as possible.

4. One Eye Closed—Leg Balance and Clap

Stand tall, facing each other, four feet apart. Both partners: shift your weight to your left leg, so that you’re standing only on that leg. Close one eye.

Extend your right arm in front of you until you are able to reach your child’s hand. Then clap each other’s right and left hands. This is one rep.

Reps: 10, alternating hand claps with one eye closed

Repeat the entire sequence with the other eye closed. Then change legs.

Reps: 10

5. Stand Up and Down from Chair and Clap

Sit tall on a firm, secure chair, feet less than shoulder width apart, arms hanging loosely.

At “Go,” stand up, raising your heels slightly off the ground while simultaneously clapping both hands overhead. This is one rep.

Reps: 5 with your eyes open and then 5 with your eyes closed

Sit back down and then stand up, bending your left knee up until your thigh is parallel to the floor while simultaneously clapping both hands overhead.

Reps: 5 with your eyes open and then 5 with your eyes closed

Hold each position for at least three seconds.

Alternate who says, “Go.”

6. Pillow/Ball Throwing

Stand ten feet away from your child, and then throw a soft ball or pillow to the marker. This is one rep.

Reps: 10

Throw the ball or pillow with your heels raised slightly off the floor.

Reps: 10

Throw the ball or pillow with right knee bent up as high as is comfortable without losing your balance, and then alternate with your left knee bent and raised.

Reps: 5 with each leg

Repeat with one eye closed.

Reps: 5 with each leg

Throw the ball or pillow with precision, even with one eye closed.

7. External Obliques with Ball

Stand tall, back to back with your child, feet shoulder width apart and heels raised slightly off the floor, holding a soft ball or pillow, your arms extended straight in front of you.

Pass the ball or pillow from left to right.

Pass the ball or pillow to your child. Your child will pass the ball or pillow from left to right, passing the ball or pillow back to you.

Reps: 20

Keep your heels off the ground during the entire exercise.

Once you master this movement, do it as fast as possible without dropping the ball.

8. Snake: Stand Up at Go (Children Only)

Lie down on your back on the floor, arms and legs extended comfortably.

At “Go,” jump up with as much explosive power as possible, clap opposite hands with your parent, and then lie back down. This is one rep.

Reps: 10

Parents who are in good physical shape can do this with their children.

9. Extra Balance + Jump

Place a marker at least three feet away.

Stand tall, and then jump to the side with your feet together, like a frog, as close to the marker as possible, landing on both feet. This is one rep.

Reps: 10

Repeat, landing on one leg.

Reps: 8, alternating legs

10a. Balance and Count

Stand twenty feet away from your child.

At “Go,” tell your child to go up on his or her tiptoes.

Slowly approach your child, flashing a number of fingers first with your left hand and then with your right. Your child should shout out how many fingers you’re holding up while keeping on his or her tiptoes during the entire circuit.

Reps: 5

Once you can easily do this with both eyes open, repeat the exercise first with your left eye closed and then with your right.

10b. Balance and Read—Progression

After two weeks, add the following set:

Repeat exercise 10a, but change to word flash cards, alternating your left and right hands.

Reps: 5

Repeat step A, with one leg up as high as is comfortable.

Reps: 5

Repeat step A, with your left leg up and your right eye closed.

Reps: 5

Repeat step A, with your right leg up and your left eye closed.

Reps: 5

After you have done all the exercises, you will have finished one complete circuit.

Rest between circuits for up to a minute, and then repeat the circuit two more times, for three circuits total.

If you find the circuit to be easy, increase the number of circuits you do during each session, and reduce the amount of time between the circuits.

At the end of the third set, finish with a meditation:

Both of you close your eyes and visualize a beautiful park full of many fun things to do, and then visualize yourself lying down in the clean, green, sweet-smelling grass.

Concentrate on your breathing as follows:

For ten breaths, silently say, “In and out” every time you inhale or exhale.

Visualize your feet for ten seconds.

Visualize an orange for ten seconds.

Visualize a sun full of light, and end up with a smile that will transition to a loud laugh.

In every visualization, breathe deeply and say to yourself, “I am going to do my best. I know I can do it.” Breathe deeply.