Likely one of the key books in the new thought process behind exercise enhancing the brain for children, including focus, concentration, memory and learning. Mr. Ratey provides numerous examples and case studies which accentuate his point, in clear and compelling ways. One chapter I found particularly useful was describing how a school district in Naperville utilized this approach of heavy focus and emphasis on exercise to go along with the school day, all before activity devices and trackers were even an option! Not only did academic performance soar to among tops in the nation, more interesting was the drastic decrease in both school fights and missing attendance!

Mr. Ratey went a step further in discussing how exercise can reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression in children by comparing exercise to common prescribed medication given to children to cope with symptoms, and exercise often came out a far more realistic and long term answer! He talks about depression in a new light, saying depressed patients have 15% smaller hippocampi compared to normal patients, which is why depressed people have learning issues. Brains respond like muscles do, growing with use, withering with inactivity. Extremely contrary to views held by society that our brains stop growing after the teenage years.

The recurring theme throughout the book of the sense of control and accomplishment exercise give to a child is extremely compelling to what I believe and have experienced in my professional experiences throughout my life. The sense of accomplishment by completing a mile run goes a long way to boost a child’s confidence.

Overall, this book certainly provided revolutionary ideas and thoughts, often backed by research that made me want to further explore such developments, and matched what I had personally seen in professional experience in my time working with children in a wide variety of settings.