The document discusses the interrelation between neuroscience, exercise science, and nutrition, emphasizing the brain's influence on physical and mental performance. It highlights the importance of movement and motor skills in learning and cognitive function and presents a specific program aimed at improving children's physical and academic abilities through tailored exercises. Additionally, it shares personal experiences working with special needs children and details various exercises that promote motor and cognitive development.

1. QuickTime™ and a
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2. Latest Studies in Neuroscience, Exercise Science and Nutrition
 NEUROSCIENCE APPLIED TO FITNESS
• The More we use our brain the better physical and mental results
• The more active we are the greater connectivity between brain regions
 EXERCISE SCIENCE
1- Biomechanics: the more muscles we use the better for a greater health
2- Cardiovascular activity not only help us get fit but also get smarter. Creation of BDNF
 NUTRITION AND INTELLIGENCE
• Nutrition Vs Intelligence: High Saturated fats destroys BDNF, Omega 3 diet
enhances BDNF

3. Motor circuits-why are they so complicated?
2 types of Signals
Afferent messages
Or sensory neurons
Efferent messages
Or motor neurons

4. Brain and Movement-basics
• Voluntary
• Planning an Intentional movement
• Sensory Proprioceptors

5. VOLUNTARY:
The Brain-Muscle Connection:The Brain-Muscle map
Source: Niednagel's theory

6. 2. PLANNING AN INTENTIONAL MOVEMENT
The Treasure of the brain lies at its bottom: The Cerebellum
Cerebellum:
50% of all Neurons
Functions:
Balance
Coordination
Muscle Timing
Posture
Learning-speech
Intentional Movement
Brain-Muscle Connection

7. Why Balance and
Coordination are so
Brain Studies
important?
The cerebellum, the area of the brain responsible
for voluntary physical movement is connected by
neurons to all parts of the cortex, the area of the
brain responsible for higher order thinking. Nearly 80
studies have suggested a strong link between the
movement and memory, spatial perception,
language, attention, emotion, nonverbal cues, and
decision-making (Jensen, 1998).

8. Sensory proprioceptors are key
for Movement
PROPRIOCEPTORS

9. Neuroplasticity vs
Neurogenesis
• Movement affects both
• Exercise affects both
• Cardiovascular and complex training
the best

10. The body

11. “Strength training is the absolute best exercise program”
American College Sports of Medicine
NEURONAL BALANCES DEPRESSION&ANXIETY
GROWTH HORMONES (MILD)
CARDIOVASCULAR ANTI-AGING EFFECTS MUSCULAR
HEALTH (BP, RHR,BPM) (movement) STRENGTH
BALANCES
Improves CHEMICALS IN
Immune THE BRAIN
System STRENGTH TRAINING
REDUCES
BENEFITS
BODY FAT
Fights
Disease PROMOTES
(flu&others) WEIGHT LOSS
POSTURE ALIGNMENT
FLEXIBILTY MAKES US
GET SMARTER
BONE DENSITY JOINTS
RESILIENCE

12. Biomechanics

13. Human Movement: How do we move- Biomechanics
A very complicated process- Brain-Motor Plasticity
Central nervous System Motor Command Body Movement Sensors
(CNS)
Cerebellum
Vision
Vestibular
Sensory
Processing
Deltoid Muscle Multi-
& Control Spindle
Plan Core
Activation
sensory
Calf-Soleus Spindle
Signals
Ankle Proprioceptor
Movement Starts:
Raise arms&heels

14. Brain activity is maximum when
we perform a balanced and coordinated
movement

15. MOVEMENT LEADS TO
SUCCESS
QuickTime™ and a
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16. SPORTS DANGER
• Requires an active use of motor skills
• Motor skills need to be taught
independently
• Sports can discriminate to those ones
with fewer motor skills
• Individualized program for motor skills

17. My work in Schools
• Working as a consultant for schools
implementing
SUPER BODY, SUPER BRAIN KIDS!
• VIDEO

18. SCHOOL PROGRAM
PS 277:
The Pre-Official report from the Bronx District
Superintendent: from last year children at PS 277 went
up 26% in their writing and reading scores and
mentioned Super Body, Super Brain "as a remarkable
improvement in the PE Curriculum contributing not only
to the children's physical condition but to their social
interaction and a great impact in the classroom"

19. Brain, Strength Training and Movement
Photos: Oprah.com
From left to right 5 ways of From Front to back
Training the
Brain with
Strength training
movements
From your senses
(proprioception)
From Movement
From your heart
learning
EYES CLOSED HAND-EYE
COORDINATION

20. Super Body, Super Brain
school sheet

21. Motor skills, Children and
Academic Achievement
• Motor skills are fundamental to learning. Memory is
retrieved better when learned through movement.
(Jensen)
• Learning happens throughout the body. The body is
the unconscious mind. (Pert)
• Movement is the body’s natural reward system.
(Jensen)
• Crossing the midline integrates the brain to organize
itself. Neural activation occurs to many parts of the
brain and equally to both hemispheres, making the
brain alert and energized for learning.
• Improved balance improves spatial skills needed to
read letters left to right on a page.

22. MY EXPERIENCE TRAINING
SPECIAL NEEDS CHILDREN
• SPD
• ASPERGERS
• ADD
• ADHD
• SEVERE AUTISM

23. Initial Observations:
• -Inability to focus more than 10 seconds in high intensity exercises
• -Ability to focus from 10 to 30 seconds in less intensity exercises
• -Balance and stabilization
• -Coordination
• -Left and Right executive decision
• -Intensity
• -Lack of body transitioning from exercise to exercise
• -Really easily distracted
• -Hand Eye Coordination
• -Impulse and muscle timing
• -Lack of sensory feedback
• -Disassociated Proprioceptors
• -Memory and feedback retrieval
• -Lack of motor planning and decision making (when facing unstable
surface)
• -Good motor planning when facing a stable surface

24. Needs
Practice
SKILLS REPORT LEVEL 1
Monitoring
Leigh Strauss Belzberg
Student name
Class The Brain Muscle Workout
6/7/09 Excellent Good Needs practice
After 5 Listening Skills x
Balance Skills x
sessions
Coordination Skills x
Cardiovascular x
Flexibility x
Attitude x
Learning Skills x
Concentration(0-30”) x
Concentration(30”-1’) x
Concentration (1-3’) x

25. Lets get to work!
Exercise
Assessment Strategy
Selection (200)
Progressive Super Body, Super Brain
exercise routine

26. Special Needs
• Motor skills
• Sensory
• Hand eye coordination
• Motor Planning-rock hiking

27. AUTISM:
MY PERSONAL JOURNEY
•How did we start
•My initial assessment
•READY TO GIVE UP
•MOM STOPPED ME SAYING
“WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING
MR?”
 AHA MOMENT

28. We started with 3 exercises
and sessions lasting 10
minutes
1 year after we are doing over 40
exercises in sessions lasting 45
minutes 3 times a week-
ASHLEY ROCKS!!!!

29. Ashley’s update
Improvement in:
• Eye contact
• Multi-tasking
• Focus
• Sensory
• Motor skills
• Strength
• And many more to come! Ashley keeps surprising me
day by day

30. Exercise Number 1
• 1.-Puzzle Selection
Progression in:
-Eye contact
-Selecting an individual puzzle at verbal command

31. Exercise Number 2
2.- Hand Clapping
• -PT clapping
• Ashley clapping
• Both Clapping
• Opposite clapping
Progression in:
-Eye contact
-Cognitive response
-Cross lateral movement
-Exercise transition

32. Exercise Number 3:
Neck relaxation
From a seated position hold neck
backwards and breathe. 20
seconds
Progression in:
-Movement execution
-Cognitive response
-Relaxation response
-breathing calmly

33. Exercise Number 4:
Sensory-Wake up muscles in the face
• From a relax position, massage gently the muscles in
the face activating sensory and blood flow to facial
muscles
Progression in:
-Eye contact
-Relaxation response
-Duration of exercise=20 seconds

34. Exercise Number 5:
WALKING WITH CLOSED EYES
• Covering Ashley’s eyes Ashley walks upstairs with
closed eyes
Goals: Proprioception, Multi-tasking, sensory, balance,
coordination, strength
Progression in:
-Walking from steady surface to increase resistance
-Cognitive response
-Clumsy to smooth
-Not confident to Confident

35. Exercise Number 6
• 6. BALL EXERCISES
• 6.1 KNEES ON THE BALL PLUS CLAPPING AND ROTATING
• Instruct to get on the stability ball and hold her both hands. Then by
holding just one hand have her initiate a rotation of her whole body to the
left then return to the starting position clap 10 times. Then have her initiate
a rotation to the right and clap ten more times.
Progression in:
-Eye contact
-Cognitive response
-Exercise execution and exercise complexity
-Exercise transition

36. Exercise Number 7
Ball jumping by oneself: Ashley gets on the
ball by herself instruct to do ten jumps without
holding
Progression in:
-Eye contact
-Cognitive response
-Cross lateral movement
-Exercise transition

37. Exercise Number 8
Back stretch:Lying on the ball backwards perform
a lower back stretch and hold it for 1 minute!
Progression in:
-Eye contact
-Cognitive response
-Cross lateral movement
-Exercise transition

38. Exercise Number 9
6.4 . “DON’T FALL”
From a lying down position on the ball and hands on the floor.
Hold the legs bring her body slightly backwards and push her
forward making sure that she is placing her hands to stop the
movement. This is one rep do it ten times
Progression in:
-Eye contact
-Cognitive response
-Cross lateral movement
-Exercise transition

39. Exercise Number 10
MOTOR PLANNING
Choose a point A and a point B in space. Point A and
Point B will be few feet away. The initial distance
should be at least 3 feet away and the gradually
increasing. In both distance points there should be a
clear surface that makes this points in space unique.
In the figure move from the tramp to the bosu. This is
one rep do it tem times
Progression in:
-Eye contact
-Cognitive response
-Cross lateral movement
-Exercise transition

40. Exercise Number 11
BALL THROWING AND BALL RECEPTION
From a standing position and at least 10 feet away
throw the ball to a partner then throw the ball back
making sure that she is planning the throw and
practice the reception activating the reflex system.
Progression in:
-Eye contact
-Cognitive response
-Cross lateral movement
-Exercise transition

41. Exercise Number 12
9. TREADMILL:
-Running-holding her both hands
3 series of Treadmills: -Running-holding one hand then
1st Circuit: 4.0 Walking change
for one minute followed -Running-holding both shoulders
by running 4 minutes at -Running by herself without any
6.5. help
Each subset should be done by
From a standing position approx 30 seconds each. Then do
the instructor will place it twice
one leg at each side of Total minutes: 3-4 minutes
the treadmill. Then Progression in:
Facing her and holding -Eye contact
her hands do one set of -Cognitive response
the following: -Cross lateral movement
-Exercise transition

42. Exercise Number 13
COUNT TO FIVE TO DRINK JUICE
Count very slowly from one to five.
Progression in:
-Eye contact
-Cognitive response
-Cross lateral movement
-Exercise transition

43. Exercise Number 14
14.- KNEE TO CHEST –MOVEMENT
From a lying down position and both legs bent
to chest level, push both knees to the chest
back and forth.
Progression in:
-Eye contact
-Cognitive response
-Cross lateral movement
-Exercise transition

44. Exercise Number 15
PRETZEL STRETCH
From a lying down position bring both legs
behind the head then hold with both hands
together. The count to sixty before releasing.
Progression in:
-Eye contact
-Cognitive response
-Cross lateral movement
-Exercise transition

45. Exercise Number 16
17.- MEDITATION
Lying down and making sure the room is as
dark as possible, lie down and rest. Her hands
will be placed at the stomach level and her
legs are straight. At the beginning the
instructor could be lying down with her then
moving away to make her gain independence
in the exercise.
Progression in:
UP TO TEN MINUTES!!!