Are you suffering from a lack of concentration or problems with your memory? Recent studies published between 2009 and 2019 show there is an activity you can do to increase both concentration and memory.
A recent study published in the Translational Sports Medicine Journal found that by doing moderate to high-intensity aerobic exercises, focusing on increasing your heart rate, you can improve your memory and concentration for up to two hours.
The benefits of aerobic exercise
Dr. Peter Blomstrand, with the department of clinical physiology at County Hospital Ryhov, stated, “We found that two minutes to one hour of aerobic exercise at moderate to high intensity improves the learning ability and storage in memory for up to two hours in young adults.”
As career professionals, we must be on top of our game in a competitive workplace environment. One of the consequences of our fast-paced society is the strain on our available time. Unfortunately, neglecting our physical health and avoiding cardio workouts can affect more than just our physical health.
The impact of physical exercise
Study after study has shown that physical health and exercise has a direct impact on our cognitive ability and our ability to achieve our career and financial goals.
Lona Sandon, the director of the Master Clinical Nutrition Coordinated Program at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, also weighed in on the issue. She stated, “It is pretty clear that there is strong agreement on the benefits of exercise for brain function regardless of age. We know exercise is good for us for several reasons. And we also know kids perform better in school when they get time to exercise and have a good meal. The question is: Why do we still seem to ignore it?”
A study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed 25% of the U.S. population admitted to avoiding any type of physical activity in addition to their everyday routines. Leisure-time physical activity, such as breaks at work, can be the perfect solution to our time-strapped days.
Even if you can’t carve out an hour or so after work for a formal workout, research also indicates taking brisk walks at work in between tasks is also beneficial.
The link between exercise and mood
The American Psychological Association published an article on the exercise effect, which detailed some of the benefits of moderate exercise. In addition to physical health, our mental health and mood can drastically improve as quickly as five minutes after exercising.
In conjunction with these immediate effects, exercise in the form of cardio workouts can reduce the likelihood of long term depression. They found that active people were less likely to be depressed compared to inactive people.
Focusing our priorities on the greatest impact
While our lives are tied to our outlook calendars, it may be time to pencil in a daily time slot specifically designated for a brisk walk or squats in our office.
Taking time to get our heart pumping can not only improve our ability to concentrate and improve our memory, but it can also improve our mood.
Give cardio activity a ten to fifteen-minute time slot each day and watch how the other aspects of your life improve. Our lives revolve around schedules, so make brief exercise part of your plan.
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