Riding bikes at school is so much fun that kids will go to great lengths to get to do it. We are into week #3 and attendance for Riding For Focus has been close to 100%. Anecdotal reports from teachers and parents are that kids are generally calmer, happier and more focused since they began riding. While these aren't scientific findings, they are still worth paying attention to.
Over the weekend a friend shared an article with me about youth programs in Iceland. The country had terrible problems with alcohol abuse and disengagement among their teenagers in the late 1990's. Introducing consistent after-school activities over the last two decades that got kids moving, interacting with each other, having fun, exploring their interests and challenging themselves turned the culture around. Today, Iceland has cut their rate of teenage alcohol abuse by 75% and improved the emotional state of their kids as well. In a similar way, Riding For Focus has been a lifeline for some of our kids who aren't very good at "doing school." Biking is a multi-faceted activity that requires focus, balance and quick decision making and also increases the body's need for oxygen and blood flow. All of this stimulation changes brain chemistry, producing BDNF (Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor), a protein that makes it easier for nerve cells to transmit and receive impulses.
So if you want students to be able to tap into the potential of their cognitive powers, it's probably a good idea to incorporate cycling into the school day.
As kids become more confident, we will begin venturing onto some of the local single track and our signature pump track. Let's hope the weather keeps cooperating!
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