Though we usually view physical and mental strength as two separate realms, they overlap in surprising, unexpected ways. Physical exercise is well known to reduce stress and improve one’s mood, as it stimulates the increase in production of endorphins and decreases the production of stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline. However, it isn’t as well known that exercise can also improve one’s short and long-term memory.
In 2022, Jeremy Manning, the assistant professor of psychological and brain sciences at Dartmouth, led a complex study aimed at finding the effect of high and moderate intensity exercise on short and long-term memory. Researchers collected fitness data of 113 individuals, with 77 females, 35 males, and one unspecified, all between the ages of 19 and 68. The fitness data was recorded on Fitbits and consisted of heart rate, sleep, weight, and nutrition. Additionally, activity metrics were recorded, with researchers gathering data each day on step counts, number of floors climbed, total distance travelled, and activity level (sedentary, lightly active, fairly active, highly active). Subjects were asked to perform a variety of memory tests for the purpose of testing episodic memory, relating to personal events, semantic memory, relating to logic and facts, and spatial memory, relating to surroundings.
The researchers found that participants who were highly active performed better than other groups on episodic memory tests, while moderately active participants performed better than other groups on spatial memory tests. Participants who were mostly sedentary were found to perform badly on memory tasks. Overall, the results of the study point towards the fact that exercise is a valuable activity that can enhance memory, greatly benefiting people in not just a physical aspect, but a mental one as well.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s44271-024-00124-2?fromPaywallRec=false
https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/exercise-can-boost-your-memory-and-thinking-skills
