If you want your mind to be sharper, the evidence suggests you should visit the
gym. But how can exercising your muscles boost your brain power?
We tend to assume that brains don t go with brawn but that assumption is
turning out to be seriously flawed. As the latest video from the Head Squeeze
team shows, exercising the body is one of the best ways to boost your
intelligence and preserve it through old age.
Consider this: one German study found that older people who enjoy mild exercise
such as gardening are half as likely to suffer from cognitive impairment as
they age. Another experiment found that pensioners asked to take a leisurely
walk a few times a week scored better on attention and memory tests. But it s
not just older people: children who walk to school tend to concentrate better
and get better test results than those given lifts in the car.
One possible reason is that the exercise boosts the blood (and therefore
oxygen) supply to the brain which helps give it the energy to think. It might
also promote the growth of neurons and perhaps encourage the release of certain
neurotransmitters and growth hormones that are crucial to the brain s overall
health. All of which could contribute to better concentration and memory.
In the future, some researchers are looking into specially designed exergames
that incorporate physical activity with cognitive training to give your brain
the best possible workout; early results suggest that the sum is greater than
the individual parts. In the meantime, the work should at least give you one
more reason not to put off that visit to the gym.