Learning on the go

Do you find it easier to concentrate and learn when movement is involved? Is it hard for you to sit still? Do you do well in sports or performing arts? Do you have hobbies that require working with your hands? If so, you may be a kinesthetic learner who would benefit from incorporating movement into the learning process. The Law School Academic Support Blog has great tips for kinesthetic learners on how to improve their performance.

Roger von Oech of Creative Think offers a neat product to boost creativity – The Ball of Whacks, which consists of 30 magnetic blocks that can be used to create a variety of designs. You can work with your hands and improve your creative thinking at the same time – a win-win combination for kinesthetic learners and a great fun for everybody else.

While movement is a necessity for some learners, all of us can benefit from kinesthetic intelligence. Our brain consumes a third of all the oxygen that our body receives. Physical exercise helps to increase the flow of blood and oxygen to the brain, improving its function. I’ve found that certain types of physical activities work better for my mind.

Walking is one of them. It calms my nerves and clears my head. Read Walk for Focus by Brain Based Business to find out how walking can benefit your brain. If you want to listen to cases while taking a walk, go to http://www.audiocasefiles.com where you can download the digital audio recordings of legal opinions for 0.99 cents a piece.

Spinning is another one of my favorites. It is a much more vigorous exercise. I liked the setting of a spinning class I attended a few years ago: it had dim lights, good music, and effective but not overbearing coaching. I felt like I was in the zone.

At the time I was studying for the bar, I lived in an apartment in a Chicago high-rise with a swimming pool on the roof. I took my books up there and did laps during my study breaks. I don’t claim it will work for everybody, but it worked for me. The additional benefit was that I didn’t feel like I had to miss out on all the summer fun because of studying. And as I already wrote in the five-things-you-may-not-know-about-me meme, Latin ballroom dancing was my escape from law school. Who knows… it may have helped me more than I am willing to admit.

You don’t always need a big chunk of time to gain exercise benefits. These days, I often do 15-minute yoga sessions to stretch and breathe. And I am learning to juggle because juggling improves the brain function. It also makes my baby daughter laugh, especially when I drop a ball. Sometimes, simply being mindful of your posture and remembering to relax your shoulders can boost your energy according to The Happiness Project. I’d add a few shoulder rolls to that. Little steps can make a big difference.

Are you ready to use your kinesthetic intelligence? What’s your move?