The interconnectedness between our mental, emotional and physical lives is becoming more and more apparent, at least to the world of science. Many of us have intuitively known this to be true even before there was any science to prove it. While we couldn’t necessarily say why working out and eating healthy affects us in such a positive manner, our guts knew we were on to something vital and important. Thankfully, so much research has been done in the scientific community over the past twenty years or so to confirm what we knew all along!
Recent studies done at Georgia Tech University and the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio demonstrated the beneficial role exercise had on memory and, potentially, curbing the effects of dementia and Alzheimer’s in individuals as they get older.
The study done at Georgia Tech demonstrated that lifting weights improved episodic memory – another term for long-term memory – upwards of 10% in healthy, young adults. This particular study focused on weightlifting. Previous studies had already demonstrated that aerobic exercise – running, walking, etc. – improved memory as well. All the more reason to workout before a big exam!
The Cleveland Clinic study focused on the role exercise may play in preventing or, at least, limiting the effects of Alzheimer’s disease in elderly individuals. The results were startling and quite encouraging. Alzheimer’s disease changes the physical landscape of the brain causing memory loss and dementia. However, this particular study showed that exercise also changes the physical makeup of the brain, potentially countering the negative effects of this tragic disease. Exercise did not cure individuals, but, according to the researchers, it may very well limit or lessen the effects of the disease though more research is needed to provide conclusive evidence.
If you’re lost in a mental fog, having difficulty studying or with a project at work, take an exercise break. I can almost guarantee that a nice sweat during one of my workouts will, at the very least, reenergize you for the task at hand. More importantly, it may also give your brain a much-needed boost!
The post Exercise and Memory appeared first on Zuzka Light.