A recent study reinforced an important concept – that including a mental challenge as part of a workout can produce significant benefits above and beyond merely challenging yourself mentally! Researchers tested the effects of orienteering on brain function and memory – comparing it to just exercise at the same intensity.
The results - added to a growing amount of evidence – showed
that you can dramatically enhance the cognitive benefits of exercise by adding
in a mental challenge. Exercise
improves brain health in many ways both short and long term. One big mechanism is an increase in BDNF –
Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor – which acts like Miracle Grow for the
brain. In particular high intensity
exercise and the lactate produced during it stimulate BDNF release.
This BDNF increase is particularly important in the
Hippocampus area of the brain which is associated with learning and memory, and
the Hippocampus shrinks during aging.
The researchers compared the effects of completing a 1.3
kilometer course in one of three conditions:
walking, running, or running while navigating – orienteering. Running in both conditions produced higher
lactate levels and the highest BDNF levels.
But only running with navigation produced better scores on a test of
special memory. In other words, the
brain circuits that got the biggest boost where the ones that were used during
the orienteering workout!
Another multicenter trial showed that a mix of aerobic
exercise and cognitive training warded off cognitive decline more effectively
than exercise alone.
Adding in a mental challenge can be done many different ways
such as using cardio machines with gaming components built in such as the
Expresso Bikes or Echelon Bikes.
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