MaKayla Stroud
Southwind Extension District
4-H Program Assistant
Brain Breaks
Do you have a hard time staying focused while working on the computer or studying? Do you ever feel like your brain is on idle or taking a nap? If you have ever felt like this, then you should try taking a brain break! A brain break is an exercise that gets you out of your chair while using different parts of your brain. These challenges can be altered for all ages, abilities and working environments. Brain breaks help one to refocus, increase energy and helps you have fun!
Brain breaks can be used within a classroom setting, office environment or any place that includes long periods of stationary work. These exercise bursts should last between one to four minutes in length. It is recommended that for elementary students to have a brain break after 20-30 minutes of sedentary work. A quick brain break allows physical energy to be burned allowing the brain to reawake while also utilizing regions that aren’t used when students are sitting down. For adults, a brain break can allow for a quick session of stretching to make sitting at a desk more comfortable.
Since brain breaks require you to stand or participate in light exercise, this benefits the participant by improving cognitive skills while encouraging muscle growth, increasing motor skills and strengthening cardio-vascular systems. By using both the brain and body simultaneously this allows for the brain to be reset while increasing the flow of blood & oxygen that in return boosts energy.
Having fun is another reason to break up your workday with a short brain break. These activities allow you to take a breather from work while being silly and testing your personal best. Some brain break activities can be completed as a group to have fun with colleagues or classmates. When participating in a fun activity it boosts your mood, encourages smiling, causes laughing while helping to decrease stress.
If you’re interested in more information, go to our Facebook page or YouTube channel named Southwind District 4-H and watch various brain break activities. Other youth development resources can be found at southwind.ksu.edu.