Exercise May Improve Memory
A recent study suggests that exercising vigorously 20 minutes per day may improve “interference memory,” a type of memory that involves reconciling new learning with information one already knows. (Sometimes older information “interferes” with new learning.) In a 2017 article in the Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, researcher Jennifer Heisz and colleagues report that performance on a high-interference memory task improved when participants engaged in 20-minute daily sessions of interval training for six weeks.
Heisz and colleagues compared three groups of students: one did interval training, another did both interval training and cognitive training, and a control group did no special training. Both exercise groups performed better on the high-interference memory task than the control group. Those who exercised also had higher levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which promotes the growth of new synapses and is crucial for long-term memory.
The researchers suggest that this finding could be useful to seniors facing memory deficits, since only six weeks of exercise improved memory performance. Interference memory tends to decline with age.
Previous research has linked aerobic exercise to better academic performance.
