Working out for twenty minutes everyday can make your
memory much better.
Just 20 minutes of high-intensity exercise may help improve memory, suggests a study which could have implications for ageing populations grappling with diseases such as dementia and Alzheimer’s.
Scientists at McMaster University in Canada found that six weeks of intense exercise – short bouts of interval training over the course of 20 minutes – showed significant improvements in what is known as high-interference memory, which, for example, allows us to distinguish our car from another of the same make and model.
In the study, published in the Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, memory performance of the participants, who were all healthy young adults, increased over a relatively short period of time.
They also found that participants who experienced greater fitness gains also experienced greater increases in brain- derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a protein that supports the growth, function and survival of brain cells.
“Improvements in this type of memory from exercise might help to explain the previously established link between aerobic exercise and better academic performance,” said Jennifer Heisz, assistant professor at McMaster.
“At the other end of our lifespan, as we reach our senior years, we might expect to see even greater benefits in individuals with memory impairment brought on by conditions such as dementia,” said Heisz.
