Dyslexia Discovery

You have come upon a blog discussing tools to help dyslexics and hyperlexics.  The topic continues to focus on exercise.

Yes, I know, we are forever hearing how important exercise is: for our physical health, a good disposition, longevity of life and on and on.  And,, those are true, but I have found that daily exercise is also good for dyslexia and hyperlexia.  Why?  Because:

• Exercise is a grounding agent.  After exercising, my left and right brain are ready to work in a more connected way. I don’t space out as much.
• Exercise keeps my eyes healthy and ready for the process of reading
• Exercise gives me the energy and willingness to sit down and read.

Exercises that work for me.

1. Three days a week at the health club: on the bicycle or elliptical for a half hour and then core exercises: crunches, along with exercises that address the muscles in the middle of my torso, then on to arm and leg stretches as well as working with weights.  It sounds arduous. You know, it just isn’t.  I love going and I love the result -– being grounded.
2. And, one day a week I work out with a trainer. He helps me advance my exercise program as my body is ready for more.  One day he gave me an exercise which has another value. It switches on my eyes.  I see things much clearer.  It just happens. Here’s the exercise, you might like to try it.  Stand with your feet parallel and hip width apart, knees softly bent. Image the center and bottom of your pelvis as lifting up to the center of your body. Then visualize the upper sides of my pelvis pushing down into the ground. I shift my whole body on to one foot and I bring one knee up, straighten the leg forward, rotate the leg outward from the hip so that my foot moves outward and then bring it down. After 10 rotations of each leg my eyes are really functioning clearly. Now, that was a surprise.
3. Eye exercises. Over the years I have worked with two eye specialists.  Dr. Roberto Kaplan, Doctor of Optometry, www.beyond2020vision.com and Dr. Larry Jebrock, behavioral optometrist, www.eyeexercises.com. Both have provided me with an eye exercise program that keeps my eyes at 20/20 vision. Strong eyes seem to mean that my eyes are willing to be grounded, ready to assist me in the process of reading and comprehension.
4. Walking and hiking are also a passion. I feel so much better always after being outdoors.  Walking on the ground, keeps me grounded, a very important ingredient for comprehending what I read.
5. Yoga as exercise.  I have also taken years of yoga.  These exercises assist my body in being grounded.
6. Gabriel Roth’s five rhythms. Movement to music reflecting five different feelings: flowing, staccato, chaos, lyrical, stillness.  In the San Francisco Bay area you can learn more on http://www.movingcenterschool.com.  I find this class quietly restorative.

Now, I would love to hear what exercise works for you or what your questions are!

Finally, I will continue to evolve this site, including incorporating dyslexic and/or hyperlexic information that others have to share.  Yes, I am looking for your ideas.  Send them via the Comments below.

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Information on this blog is intended to complement, not replace, the advice of your own physician or health care professional?

Can exercise help the brain?   This was the topic of a recent lecture by John G. Ratey, MD sponsored by PEN.

If you wish to comment on this blog, simply scroll down to the bottom of this blog and hit comment.

First of all let me tell you a little bit about PEN. The acronym stands for Parents Education Network, a coalition of parents collaborating with educators, students and the community to empower and bring academic success to students with learning and attention difficulties.

If you live in the San Francisco Bay area and have children with these challenges, this is a lively group, well worth your time and energy.  Last spring, on the suggestion of one of their students, an all-day event for dyslexics was put together at the Giant’s Ball Park and 1,100 parents, students and others showed up. It was an amazing experience and much was accomplished. Yes, it will happen again, spring, 2010. Find out more at http://www.parentseducationnetwork.org/

Now to John Ratey. Well, all I can say is that I wanted to jump up and cheer, “Yes! yes! yes!”  because what he is promoting (real exercise that’s fun to do) is exactly what helped me.   My mother enrolled me in an exercise program when I was eleven.  I loved it.  My brain cleared and exercise made it easier for me to study.  This is a fun discipline I have continued since that time.

Well, Dr. Ratey and many others are working with school systems in the US to get this concept across. And it’s working.  No, the exercise is not football, nor tennis, etc, its 40 minutes a day doing one or more of aerobics/boot camp/ hip hop/games etc, etc.  They have discovered that play is an important component to academic learning.

Here’s what happening in schools that incorporate fitness-based programs. 

1. Disciplinary issues decrease in some situations up to 30%
2. Kids are keen to come to school
3. Test scores go up, especially in math and language arts.

If you want to learn more go to www.JohnRatey.com. He has many books, but it seems that SPARK, “the new revolutionary science of exercise and the brain,” is the book that has the most details on this approach.

If I were a teacher or a parent, I would hasten to the bookstore to learn more. I know that his approach works. I am both dyslexic and hyperlexic and his approach has worked for me. 

By the way, Dr. Ratey is a clinical associate professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School.

Finally, I will continue to evolve this site, including incorporating dyslexic and/or hyperlexic  information that others have to share.  Yes, I am looking for your ideas.  Send them via the Comments. below.