Balance
Why We Need to Learn on Our Feet, Not Just Our Seat
It’s a common misconception that learning only happens when students are sitting
perfectly still at their desks. In reality, we get crucial information about where we are in space (our spatial orientation) from our feet—not our seat!
When we introduce balance into learning, we aren’t just giving kids a "brain break." We are fundamentally changing how their brains process and retain information.
The Science of Balance and the Brain
Balancing activities challenge the brain to adjust its spatial orientation using the proprioceptor system. Think of proprioception as your body’s internal GPS. It’s the sensory system that tells your brain exactly where your limbs are in space, how much force you are using, and how to stay upright—all without you having to look at your body.
When a child uses balance skills while practicing academic concepts, incredible things happen to their focus. Because staying balanced requires the brain to stay physically alert, the body essentially "takes over" the low-level processing. This heightened state of physical alertness wakes up the brain, clearing the way for higher cognitive functions to operate at peak capacity. You simply can't zone out when you're trying not to fall over!
Furthermore, Action Based Learning (ABL) activities promote dual processing. This means they require the integrated use of both the left and right hemispheres of the brain. When a student has to stabilize their core or cross their midline to maintain balance, those brain hemispheres are forced to communicate rapidly. Research shows this cross-hemisphere communication is imperative to learning. It aids the brain in anchoring new information, drastically improving memory retention and retrieval, and combining multiple skills for higher-level thinking.
3 Balance Activities to Try (With or Without Equipment)
Ready to bring the power of balance into your learning environment? Here are three activities you can do using specialized ABL equipment or simple items you already have.
1. The Wobbly Spelling Bee
Pairing rote memorization (like math facts or spelling words) with a balancing act forces the brain to lock in the information through dual processing.
- With an ABL Product: Have the student stand on an ABL Wobble Board or ABL Surfboard. As they shift their weight from side to side to keep the board from touching the floor, have them spell a word out loud or answer a multiplication flashcard.
- The DIY Way: No wobble board? No problem. Have the student stand on a rolled-up towel, a thick couch cushion, or a slightly deflated beach ball. The unstable surface will still force their proprioceptive system to work in overdrive while they recite their facts.
2. Heel-to-Toe Story Sequencing
This activity requires precision and spatial awareness, making it perfect for tasks that require chronological thinking, like summarizing a story or explaining a scientific process.
With an ABL Product
- Set up an ABL Balance Beam or a path of Connector Bridges & Tactile Stepping Pathways.
- As the student carefully walks heel-to-toe across the obstacles, they must state one event from the story for each bridge or pathway they successfully cross.
The DIY Way
- Use a roll of painter’s tape to create a long, zigzagging line on the classroom or living room floor.
- Alternatively, take the lesson outside and use sidewalk chalk to draw a balance pathway.
- The rule remains the same: they must stay exactly on the line while recalling the steps in order.
3. Core-Crossing Vocabulary Toss
Crossing the midline (reaching across the body) while balancing is one of the most effective ways to trigger both brain hemispheres simultaneously.
With an ABL Product
- Have the student stand on an ABL Leaning Ladder or an ABL Whaler Board.
- While they maintain their balance, toss a beanbag to their left side
- Have them reach across their body with their right hand to catch it.
- When they catch it, they must define a vocabulary word before tossing it back.
The DIY Way:
- Have the student stand on just one leg (the "stork stand").
- Toss a rolled-up pair of socks or a soft ball slightly off to their side
- Have them reach across their body to catch it without putting their raised foot down.
- Switch legs halfway through the vocabulary list!
Read the Science:
Effectiveness of exercise for improving cognition, memory and executive function
PubMed (Systematic Review) (2025)
- This massive review analyzed 133 systematic reviews (covering hundreds of thousands of participants).
- It concluded that physical movement and exercise significantly improve general cognition, memory, and executive function.
- Researchers noted that memory and executive function improvements from movement were greater for children and adolescents than for adults.
Associations Between Motor Competence and Executive Functions
National Library of Medicine (2024)
- Research confirms that motor and balance skills are positively associated with executive functions.
- This study explains how the brain processes these tasks.
- Maintaining balance on an unstable surface directly exercises working memory (remembering movement sequences), cognitive flexibility (adapting to shifting weight), and inhibitory control (suppressing the impulse to fall or flail).
