Study tips for kinesthetic learners to study better.

It can be frustrating when a concept doesn’t stick with you. Or you can’t learn something.

It may be the way you are studying and the type of learner you are. You may learn better by seeing, by doing, or by listening.

These different study tips for kinesthetic learners will help guide them while they learn.

If you are a kinesthetic learner, you would learn best by incorporating physical activities or movement with your studying.

Unsure if you are a kinesthetic learner? Try these questions:

Do you like to fidget around and can’t sit still?

Do you like to use your hands when talking or explaining something?

Do you have difficulty spelling or listening?

Do you prefer to be more hands-on?

Do you get easily distracted?

Do you seem to lose interest quickly?

If you answered more than one of these, then you are likely a kinesthetic learner. Still unsure? Take a learning style quiz to determine what type of learner you are.

This post is all about the best study tips for kinesthetic learners.

Study Tips for Kinesthetic Learners

1. Brush While You Learn

Try to associate studying with daily activities. If you are trying to memorize concepts or terms, stick them on your bathroom mirror. 

So each time you brush your teeth, you can stare at the words and study them.

This means you will have at least 2 minutes in the morning and 2 minutes before bed to get some studying in.

Incorporating daily tasks like brushing your teeth, doing your hair, or washing the dishes can be great times to link with learning.

Since you are already doing daily routine tasks that require little effort, it will not be distracting to study.

You would be able to study while tying your shoes or doing household chores.

2. Kill Two Birds with One Stone

You can exercise and study at the same time.

Listen to a lesson or lecture while you are doing a walk or jog. Incorporate it into your workout routine.

Get both your daily exercise in while having your brain juices running. 

You can also try reciting flashcards or concepts and terms while you are working out. 

Try doing jumping jacks, squats, lunges, planks, and stretching while you try to memorize concepts or key parts.

Since you learn better when you move around, add it into your learning routine!

3. Chew Some Gum

Chewing gum involves the movement of your mouth. If your teacher allows you to chew gum, then you can use it as a tool for jogging your memory.

If not, you can opt for mints or life savers. 

When you study, chew some gum. And when you have a quiz/test, chew gum again. This helps with memory retrieval because of context-dependent memory.

The more you can replicate the testing environment, the better you can recall.

So if you chew gum or fidget your legs, doing these movements during your exam will help with memory retrieval.

4. Create a Game

Who says studying has to be boring? You can create games with your material.

If you are learning vocab, you can make a matching game where you can write down the definition on some flashcards and the word on other flashcards.

Then try to flip and match them with the corresponding word-definition pair.

Check your answers to see how much you get right/wrong and keep repeating until you get them down.

Increase the difficulty level by making it like a multiple choice question with one definition with four word choices. 

Then, try it without any of the aid and recite them.

This also works with math. You can make a game with functions where you jot down the different types of functions.

Then you can get a problem and coordinate where it goes. Be creative with what you want to learn and implement it into a game that you would like to play.

If you don’t want to make a game, you can also search online. 

There are thousands and thousands of online math games to practice any concept or step.

5. Move Around In Your Seat

Other amazing study tips for kinesthetic learners include adding in movement.

Kinesthetic learners tend to fidget around in their seats a lot. Instead of sitting still, you can try to change how you are sitting.

Change your sitting position every couple of minutes while you are studying to include movement.

You can cross your left leg for a few minutes, cross your right leg a few minutes, put your legs down for a few minutes, shake your legs a few minutes, and stretch your legs a few minutes.

Alternate between those positions to have movement while you are studying and enhance performance.

6. Limit Distractions, Maximize Focus

If you get easily distracted, try to have something in your hand like a pointer or pencil where you have to point at where you are at.

Try to read out problems you are stuck on and use a pointer or pen to follow what you are reading.

This task allows your mind to read while focusing since you are directing attention towards your pointer.

To further maximize focus, have a tri-fold board to block out outside distractions while you are studying.

This way you won’t be distracted with people walking around, stuff outside your window, or things in your study space.

7. Take Frequent Breaks

Breaks are equally important as studying.

Think of them as your energy booster. For every 45 minutes or hour that you study, take a brief 5 or 10 minute break.

You can also try the pomodoro method where you study for 25 minutes and rest for 5 minutes.

However, I find that the one hour study and 10 minute break works better for me since I don’t have to spend as much time getting back to the topic at hand.

Each time you take a break, opt to do some eye exercises where you roll them, stare at someplace far, and pinch the upper bridge of your nose.

Test out which one works best for you and feel free to adjust to match your preferences.

8. Use Tactile Tools

Kinesthetic learners also learn better by touching.

Use graspable pens and pencils with grips or bumps. Add in paper with different colors and textures.

This way you can feel the materials that you are writing with and remember better.

Have a stress ball where you can squeeze while studying. This lets you have something to grasp and move your fingers around.

Find different school supplies to add into your studying that have textures to enhance your memory and performance.

9. Invest in a Standing Desk

If you can’t sit still, try standing!

You can move around while you study with a standing desk.

I have one and it is life. changing. Even though I am a visual learner, a standing desk has allowed me to add in more standing than sitting in my day.

You can also move around and balance on different legs while you are working. And it fixes your posture. When I sit, I tend to slouch a little, but when I stand I try to be conscious about straightening my back.

If you don’t have enough to purchase one yet, don’t worry!

You can build your own with a stack of textbooks or some cardboard boxes. 

You can find sturdy cardboard boxes at Costco where they always have a whole bunch in a large rolling cart by checkout.

However, do remember to rotate between standing and sitting as standing for long periods of time is detrimental for your health too!

Like all things in life, try to achieve balance. Balance your time between sitting and standing.

10. Interact with the Material

It is easy to blank out when reading a passage or problem.

Try to interact with the material by annotating, highlighting key words, or pointing at it.

Whenever you find yourself blanking out, try to identify the causes. Are you distracted because of a different issue? Is the material not interesting? Do you not understand?

If you are distracted with another problem, try to solve it if it takes less than five minutes. If it takes longer, jot down the problem you are having and go back to it once you finish studying.

If you find that the material is boring, think of ways to make it fun. Can you create a game with it? Try to teach it to someone else while pointing at each step you are going over.

If you don’t understand the material, ask for help. Look up videos or articles on how to solve your problem.

Ask a friend or teacher if you are stuck.

Make sure that you are taking steps to work with your assignments and engage with studying.

11. Inner Movements

Other study tips for kinesthetic learners include mixing a variety of movements while you study.

It could be hard as a kinesthetic learner to be jumping or moving around during exams. 

Instead try to do breathing exercises where you breathe in and out. Try shallow ones and deep ones to alternate the air flowing inside your body.

You can also try to breathe in through your nose and exhale through your mouth.

You can also try to tense up your arm muscle and relax it after a few seconds. This can alert your body and heighten your focus on your tests.

These breathing exercises and tensing/relaxing your muscles exercises will be less noticeable than constantly moving around in your seat.

12. Collaborate with Others

Create a study group with your friends. Not only does it hold you accountable, but it also helps with your learning.

Try to explain concepts, quiz each other, and play games.

You can try the matching game with half flashcards with the definition and half containing the words.

Then try and compete to see who can make the most matches in the shortest time.

You can also make two sets and see who finishes first.

Adding in some competition to the game can heighten dopamine since you might feel a rush of adrenaline.

This is great to enhance your memory and boost your performance.

If you tend to get distracted easily with your friends, try going to a library study room. The environment can motivate you to act according to the place. 

Since a library is considered a place for reading and studying, then you are more inclined to follow those roles. 

13. Use a White Board

Study by writing key concepts down on a white board and erasing it. If you forget, write it again and try it.

Once you remember it you can try reciting it a few more times before going to the next concept.

The act of writing and erasing allows you to practice a few more times and helps with muscle memory.

A whiteboard also saves paper so you are not wasting paper each time you try to practice.

Try adding in different colors to help stimulate your brain and connect cues with each other.

It is super easy to incorporate one or a few of these tips to help you on your studying journey.

This post was all about the best study tips for kinesthetic learners.