OXFORD ARTICLE & RESEARCH: TO BE THE BEST, YOU LEARN FROM THE BEST

Most of us want what's best for our home town & communities, to live in a peaceful, healthy society that ensures our leisure time is beneficial to our work & an infrastructure that helps our children academically excel with fresh air that's healthy for our bodies & a social atmosphere conducive to bright minds & polite conversations. We want our ethical clubs to lead by example & bring out the tenacity & team work in our kids. Everything learned from sport can be applied to business & life, communication, team work, listening skills & never giving up on your goals that I've been preaching about since I started my Physical Education degree in 2006. Most importantly they are traits learned for free when you send your kids to role models that want what's best for them & your town. We must create a safer healthier society for all to prosper in economically, socially & academically that fosters a greener way of living that wont cause children asthma as London has. We must create communities where we can all be the best we can be with positive role models & coaches who coach by example with integrity & honour for the only way our children can succeed academically is through hard work in positive ethical law abiding environments with little stress, truth & fairness in their hearts.

Its a society that costs little but creates character & mental toughness, resilience & sharp analytical thinking. After all when it boils down to it, human beings were born for hunting & gathering since time began with our grandparents, ancestors & great grandparents walking 20 mile a day, we were not born to be driven everywhere in cars with escalator's, lifts & motorbikes that you literally have to inhale crossing the road which will eventually lead to asthma or cancer . We must have communities where Kids are prioritised before companies profits, where movement is enabled not disabled, encouraged, not discouraged where our children don't wait 10 mins for a bus because its a 12 minute walk, creating children that can run 12 miles in an emergency & think for themselves under pressure which in turn reduces the need for our Doctors & Personal trainers & increases societies productivity as a whole.

Driving does nothing for you so you should only drive for time purposes, however one should also consider the amount of emails one can send on bus, train or walking & definitely not have 2 cars per family if not essential. Although the infrastructure may not be in your home town at present it will develop in future & this article will help, being highlighted & sent to every Prime Minster possible eventually when fully edited. However your healthy habits should develop now. You don't have to drive but you do have to exercise to be at your best physically, cognitively & socially, academically & emotionally so why not incorporate it into your routine & demand your local politician improves the cycling & walking infrastructure that enables your offspring lead a happy & healthy life. Your town centre, the very centre should be pedestrianised making it traffic free & safe to enjoy walking leisurely in with healthier air to breathe & safer place to run, walk, cycle & roller skate into work, school or shopping.

Oxford is widely known as one of the most intelligent Cities on Earth & also known internationally for its high levels of cycling (Oxford cycling/walking plan 2020). Their city planning is in conjunction with Oxford University, the best University on the planet & although I don't agree with it's colonialist past, it would be unwise not to follow their proven success in getting the best from their kids in every area at no expense with over 50% of people walking, jogging or cycling into work/study, it will even save you money on petrol.

Regular viewers will know from my previous blogs that I was possibly the first Personal trainer world wide to highlight the positive correlation between Aerobic fitness & academic performance as far back as 2010 thanks to small group of scientists, physiologists around the World from Oxford & elsewhere that researched exercise & intelligence back then, giving me the research I needed for my dissertation which was then given to a National celebrity from home town who brought it to National parliament helping change exercise policy around schools before I met ministers myself to change Nursing home policy to home care for similar reasons. I was fortunate enough to experience it empirically with clients & myself as far back as 2003 as a fitness instructor & as stated in my dissertation that I was motivated to know the scientific, physiological reasons for this & therefore decided to write a 10,000 word academic Thesis on it. There's a direct correlation between self esteem and intelligence with a further correlation between aerobic fitness, self esteem & academic performance (Dollman, J, Boshoff, K, & Dodd, G. 2006) .

with integrity

Oxford is also known for its walking levels being among the top 10 places in Country with the highest levels of walking once a week, alongside another famously intelligent City Cambridge (Oxford walking/cycling plan 2020). There's no coincidence in that, so if you want your kids to get the best of themselves academically & balance a career afterwards encourage them to walk, cycle & run into school, work or sports club which is also great time management for a warm up. Believe me I'd know as I ran into my work Gym 4 & half miles during my degree after selling my car, I literally couldn't rely on first 3 buses coming at once which happened regularly on Saturday, Sunday mornings due to the bus drivers Friday night hangovers and then ironically was one of the first people to walk home after work reading a book back in 2006 as my colleagues will confirm & with everyone now scrolling their phones as they walk. it created a further resilience & time management in me that I use to this day .It will Teach them resilience as you will never know when one day they have to run 12 miles in an emergency when you're in the middle of nowhere unfortunately without a signal or read a map while walking down from top of a mountain.

Oxford is already internationally famous for its high levels of cycling – the 2nd highest authority in the UK after Cambridge (Oxford walking/cycling plan 2020). Its not uncommon I know from my time in Oxford & Brighton the fitness capital of Uk (London's beach, mini LA) to see a male or female in a suit skateboarding or roller-skating to work which is great to see, very fast on roller skates & mostly quicker than being stuck in traffic especially between April & November. However I would caution anyone overweight against electric scooters as they in my experience will make you less healthy than driving as one tends to scoot directly into the shops and front door instead of walking from car to door for example thereby increasing their weight than reducing it. Electric bicycles though are a godsend for everyone especially the over 65's as they are great for the hills & encourage the use of pedalling on flat surfaces which is super for arthritis which is WORST IN MORNING TIME & BETTER AFTER WARM UP & with elderly due to the non impact of normal & E bikes and better yet bikes with a pannier rack on back that I recommend using to put 2 bags of shopping in after work out & cycle home as is the case in all cycling cities for time management.

Even the celebrities cycle in Oxford as I found out to my delight when Martin Keown (former invincible Arsenal centre back) cycled by me complimenting my football technique as I kicked a chewing gum over a 6 foot hedge & into the long grass rather than the road as I stated to him, "I refuse to litter & with no bins I'd no choice around & needed long grass to kick it into where it disappears into the earth" as we walked together to his area before wishing each other well I realised cycling is also great if you don't want to talk to anyone as Martin didn't but was kind enough to stop & chat when I asked. Cycling is great for celebrities time management as I'm sure when they walk into town everyone must ask for a selfie, they become almost invisible cycling & I would not of recognised him if not for his voice that I'm used to hearing on Match of the day which Ironically I no longer watch but was the only TV I watched during my degree, chewing gum for the eyes most tv is so send your kids out to learn a new skill at local non profit club or a stroll at lake with book in hand. Advise your kids that study breaks are beneficial for the brain every 35 to 45 mins as adult brain can only concentrate to maximum levels for 45-50 mins where they can do some housework while listening to radio or go to back garden for a 20 min kick around then back to home work fostering a balance between exercise and study with both beneficial to each other, preventing over training of mind & body. I'm the Coach Carter (film) type that tells every student athlete to carry their books everywhere they go since 2006 & their favourite sports ball or RAQUET giving them an education, fitness & a way of life for future since 2006. Personally like Martin I prefer to walk/cycle to shops but love long drives & only use car when needed.

I did ask Martin for an interview which he politely refused & later said on radio that everyone wants one so I can understand, what I really respect about Martin was his genuineness and kindness to stop for his fellow man, this determined Irish man running after him to get an interview for ye. Martins character traits sum up this article as he was born, lives in Oxford and grew up there, very articulate & able to debate with sharp minds but should no doubt buy a fold up bike for his train commute to talk sport radio in London instead of running for taxis when trains are late. Martins resilience he learned through sport, his listening skills developed as best coaches wont tolerate bad listening or attitudes which I've been telling sports coaches to preach to their players since my 2008 premier league work experience, communication, assertiveness & sense of fair play all serve him well in life now including his ability to sprint a mile for that taxi in a moment outside his control when the radio show literally had to start without him for 2 mins, without his resilience he may have missed 30 mins so that in itself is a great example to kids of a time you'll need to run for your life/work. Driving would not have got him there quicker as the train is much faster than driving into London traffic, however the fold up bike can fit in your car boot or taxi boot in his case which I imagine after I send him this he will be bringing on every train ride to work in London just incase of a train delay outside his control. Its always quicker to workout & shop than drive in & go cycling when you get home & always quicker to cycle a racing bike into town than drive in & waste time in traffic & parking.

Martins, London stress is known to kill brain cells, stress leading to a production in a chemical called cortisol. With the existence of cortisol in the brain it is less capable of planning, judging and problem solving etc. Prolonged high levels of stress lead to the demise of brain cells and a reduction in the number of brain cells being produced. Exercise can control the level of cortisol being created, reducing the amount of brain cells that are disrupted and destroyed and by doing so we allow for increased brain function (Hall, 2007).

The bottom line when whistle or alarm goes is in order for our children to excel academically (Daley, A.J., and Ryan, J. 2000) , socially, skilfully, fairly & respectfully our 20th Century Towns & Cities must evolve into greener, walking, cycling 21st century environments with connecting safe cycle paths to our free Clubs with walking tracks around pitches to watch games & exercise simultaneously for time management, run by Men & Women of honour & integrity which fosters law abiding citizens & avoidance of Asthma with non toxic fumes where they must cycle to School, run or walk, enforcing their minds to be at their sharpest for 6 hours after 25 mins aerobic exercise with heart beat between 120-160 beats per min helping develop a critical thinking skill crucial in life (Hillman, C.H., Pontifex, M.B., Raine, L.B., Castelli, D.M., Hall, E.E. & Kramer, F. 2009) .

25 MINS OF AEROBIC PE SHOULD ALSO BE THE FIRST SUBJECT OF DAY WHICH I'M SURE ILL WRITE ABOUT DOWN THE LINE BUT YOU AS PARENT'S AND ROLE MODELS, YOU MUST DEMAND THIS FROM YOUR POLITICIANS & DEMAND HIGH STANDARDS FROM YOUR KIDS WHICH HELPS THEIR STUDY, ATITTUDE, SOCIAL LIFE, RESILIANCE & OVERALL DEVELOPMENT INTO BEING THE BEST THEY CAN BE WITH EXCELLENT ATITUDES, INTEGRITY & KIND HEARTS.

WARM REGARDS ALWAYS,

DECLAN FLYNN LYNCH

BA HONOURS PHYSICAL EDUCATION

PERSONAL TRAINER SINCE 2003

MA SPORT & EXERCISE PSYCHOLOGY TBC

References:

1. Oxford Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan, (LCWIP) MARCH 2020, Public document.

2. Linder, K. J. (1999). Sport Participation and Perceived Academic Performance of School Children and Youth. Pediatric Exercise Science, Vol 11, pp129-144

3. . Dollman, J., Boshoff, K., and Dodd, G. (2006) The relationship between curriculum time for Physical Education, literacy and numeracy standards in South Australian Primary Schools. European Physical Education review. Vol12, Iss 2. pp 151-163

4. Daley, A.J., and Ryan, J. (2000) Academic performance and Participation in Physical activity by secondary school adolescents. Perceptual Motor skills. Vol 91., pp531-53

5. Trudeu, F. & Shepard, R.J. (2008) Physical education, school physical activity, school sports and academic Performance. International Journal of Behaviour, Nutrition & Physical activity., Vol 5, Iss 10

6. Hillman, C.H., Pontifex, M.B., Raine, L.B., Castelli, D.M., Hall, E.E. & Kramer, F. (2009) The effect of acute treadmill walking on cognitive control and academic achievement in preadolescent children., Neuroscience Journal., Vol 159., pp 1044-1054.

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1. goodgym.org is a community of people that use their workout to help the elderly by walking there for warm up, doing some gardening etc for elderly & running home where they use it as a work out free of charge.