TeamSnap Logo
Log inFind My Team
  • Solutions
    • For Business
      For Business

      Tools for clubs, leagues, tournament organizers, and associations to run their business

      For Teams
      For Teams

      For coaches, players & fans to stay connected on our top-rated mobile app

      Promo image
      • Overview
      • Program ManagementManage all aspects of your organization
      • SponsorshipAccess our network of opportunities
      • RegistrationPayments, dues, and more
      • TournamentsBuild and manage your events
      • PaymentsA better way to manage payments
      • Website BuilderProfessional & mobile friendly sites
      • SchedulingAutomate games & practices
      • Services & SupportIndustry-leading account support
      • MessagesSimple, reliable communication
      • Get started!Chat with our team right now
  • Pricing
  • Resources
    • Community

      Our mission is to enhance the lives of kids by enabling participation in sport

        Other resources
        • Blog
        • Coaches’ Corner
        • For Business Resources
        • TeamSnap Updates
        • Help Center
        Company
        • About
        • Careers
        • Partners
    • For Brands
      • Build relationships in the moments that matter.

        Convert families into superfans with TeamSnap for brands.

          • OverviewThe #1 way to reach the Chief Household Officer
          • AudienceLearn about our audience and network
          • CapabilitiesExplore our products and measurement solutions
          • Download Media Kit

      Find My Team

      Sign upLog in
      Sign upLog in
      BlogGeneral Sports
      • General Sports
      • Health and Safety
      • Coaching
      • for Business
      • Announcements
      Featured image: The Simple Benefits of Spending Time Outdoors

      Feb 23, 2016 • 4 min read

      The Simple Benefits of Spending Time Outdoors

      /images/teamsnap-badge.png
      Dan Peterson

      Posted in:
      • General Sports
      • Science Research
      • Sports Parents

      Go climb a tree!

      No, seriously, it’s good for young brains to climb trees, jump on rocks, balance on a log and many other outdoor activities. Known as proprioceptive tasks, when kids do movements that force them to be aware of their body’s position in space, it forces their brain to multitask and rely on working memory. 

      According to a new study out of the University of North Florida (UNF), the improvements to working memory capacity are impressive, beating out more static activities like yoga or sitting in class.

      Baseball in GrassProprioception not only helps us in sports but also in everyday real world situations. A football wide receiver diving to make a catch or a gymnast landing a complicated aerial movement have advanced levels of proprioceptive skills to help them control and move their limbs through space. In the same way, walking to the bathroom in the dark in the middle of the night requires a sense of where we are compared to our memory of objects in the room (which explains bumping into things in an unfamiliar hotel room.) Actually, the “touch your nose with your finger” drill that police officers put suspected drunk drivers through is a test of proprioception.

      Ross Alloway, PhD and Tracy Alloway, PhD, psychology researchers at UNF, wondered if this type of active movement could actually help build working memory. They gathered 65 adult volunteers and split them into three groups. First, their working memory was tested using a reverse digit recall task where a series of numbers was read to them and they had to repeat them back in reverse order. They started with two numbers, but then progressed to longer strings of numbers.

      After the baseline memory testing, one group spent the next two hours doing active proprioceptive activities like climbing trees, walking across a 3 inch wide beam, running barefoot while avoiding obstacles and lifting and carrying objects that were awkwardly weighted.

      The other two groups were for control purposes: one sitting in a classroom learning a new topic (to see if the process of learning improved working memory) and the other doing yoga (to see if a more static, stretching physical exercise helped memory.)rp_IMG_9953.jpg

      After re-testing all three groups again, the results were impressive. The active group improved their working memory by 50% over their baseline in just two hours. The other two groups did not show any significant gain in memory ability.

      Their study has been published in Perceptual and Motor Skills.

      “This research suggests that by doing activities that make us think, we can exercise our brains as well as our bodies,” said Dr. Alloway. “This research has wide-ranging implications for everyone from kids to adults. By taking a break to do activities that are unpredictable and require us to consciously adapt our movements, we can boost our working memory to perform better in the classroom and the boardroom.”

      Improving working memory has also been shown to help in many different sports.  So parents, kick those kids outside, take them to the park, or just let them loose in the forest.  They’ll have fun and the benefits will be both mental and physical.

      Daniel Peterson is an author and consultant specializing at the intersection of neuroscience and sports performance. He is the co-founder and director of 80 Percent Mental Consulting, along with Dr. Leonard Zaichkowsky, world-renowned sports performance psychologist and former professor at Boston University. Their new book, The Playmaker’s Advantage,  published by Jeter Publishing/Simon & Schuster, is available wherever books are sold.


      Download our app

      app-storegoogle-play

      Share this post


      Create Your Team Today!

      It’s Free and Free is Good!

      Sign Up Your Team!Free and Paid Plans Available
      Products
      Sports Organizations
      • Get a demo
      • Features
      • Pricing
      • Tournaments
      • FAQs
      Coaches or Team Managers
      • Features
      • Pricing
      • Tournaments
      • Get Started
      Parents or Athletes
      • Features
      • Pricing
      • Find My Team
      • Get Started
      Sports
      Sports Organizations
      • Baseball
      • Basketball
      • Football
      • Ice Hockey
      • Lacrosse
      • Soccer
      • Softball
      • Volleyball
      Teams
      • Baseball
      • Basketball
      • Football
      • Ice Hockey
      • Soccer
      • Softball
      • +100s more
      Resources
      • Blog
      • Coaches’ Corner
      • Return To Play
      • For Business Resource Library
      • Skills & Drills
      • Press Releases
      • TeamSnap Updates
      • TeamSnap Help Center
      • Community
      • Why TeamSnap?
      Company
      • About
      • CareersHiring!
      • For Brands
      • Partners
      • TeamSnap API
      • Responsible Disclosure Policy
      • Youth sports team and sports org app Apple App Store Logo
      • Youth sports team and sports org app Google Play Store Logo
      • social-media-facebook
      • social-media-twitter
      • social-pinterest
      • social-instagram
      • social-video-youtube
      • professional-network-linkedin
      • social-tiktok

      TeamSnap Footer Logo

      Copyright © 2005–2025 TeamSnap, Inc.

      • Sitemap
      • Terms
      • Privacy Policy
      • California Privacy Policy
      • Your Privacy Choices