Welcome to the Health Plus Minute. I was reading the Week in Review in the Herald’s Valley Life when I came across an article called Recess Erosion. With student achievement levels of concern at Yakima public schools, some educators plan on reducing exercise time. This, combined with the fact that Yakima is the fourth fattest community in the country, should raise concerns. Thinking is the evolutionary internalization of movement. Research clearly shows that the same area of the brain, the hippocampus, our ancestors used to build shelters, hunt and gather, and avoid becoming prey are the same areas of the brain kids use today to solve complex math problems, learn languages, and play musical instruments. Exercise improves learning and test scores on three levels. It optimizes your mindset to improve alertness and attention. It prepares and encourages nerve cells to bind to one another. And third, it spurs the development of new nerve cells from stem cells in the hippocampus. Reducing fitness time makes no sense. ProMotion Physical Therapy and Functional Fitness. Be Moved. Believe.