New research sheds light on why movement sharpens the mind
When we first launched The Park, we had a packed programme ready. Scavenger hunts. Team challenges spread across the gardens. There was plenty of movement built in. But we hadn’t planned on regular high-pulse activity.
That changed about an hour into our first morning.
A number of children were bursting with energy. It was obvious they needed to release it before they could properly focus again. So we made a change on the spot.
From then on, every 45 minutes we added 15 minutes of high-pulse activity. Running. Jumping. Chasing. Racing. It changed the rhythm of the day — and the difference in focus afterwards was immediate.
At the time it felt like a practical solution. But it turns out there may be deeper science behind it.
New research from UCL shows that just 15 minutes of aerobic exercise releases BDNF — a protein sometimes called “fertiliser for the brain.”
BDNF helps neurons grow, strengthens connections between brain cells and supports the parts of the brain responsible for attention, decision-making and impulse control.
In other words: movement literally prepares the brain to think.
And perhaps Plato had already guessed as much. His Academy Park — the original “Park” — combined philosophy with physical exercise.
Maybe he intuitively understood something science is only now beginning to explain.
“Lack of activity destroys the good condition of every human being, while movement and methodical physical exercise save it and preserve it.”
