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Exercise Improves Concentration, Focus
and Memory.
The physical benefits of a brisk walk have long been known.
New research indicates that the seemingly simple task of putting
one foot in front of the other does good for the brain as well.
A recent study shows that walking and other aerobic exercise
improves the brain’s ability to focus and concentrate. This study
was conducted by the University of Illinois and published in the
March 2004 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of
Sciences.
In the first study of its kind using neuro-imaging to observe the
effect of exercise on the human brain, researchers found that
physical activity changes the brain's structure and function in
ways that improve decision-making. Six months of brisk walking
increased connections between neurons in parts of the brain that
make a person better able to pay attention compared with people
who were physically inactive.
The study involved 30 inactive people. Half were put on a program
of brisk walking one hour a day, three days a week for six months.
The other half performed stretching and toning activities for a
similar period.
After six months, when given tests that challenged their ability
to pay attention, those in the exercise group were able to focus
more clearly on goals while disregarding competing but irrelevant
information.
Brain scans at the end of the experiment showed that brisk walkers
had significantly increased activity in two areas of the brain
when performing tests The two areas of the brain affected were the
middle frontal gyrus, which keeps a person goal-oriented, and the
superior parietal area at the back of the brain, which focuses
spatial attention.
Researchers found an improvement in the efficiency of neural
circuits that underlie the ability to focus attention and to focus
on important aspects of a task and ignore extraneous information.
University of Illinois researchers determined that increased
oxygen flow from aerobic activity improves the brain's ability to
sharpen its attention on everyday tasks and goals.
The data from this study shows that people can actually enhance
cognition and brain structure and function through exercise. This
study also supports a growing trend among therapists who are using
exercise to help increase the attention span of children with
attention deficit disorder.
Coinciding with this study is a study
linking television watching in
early years to an increased risk of ADHD behavior later. To
improve focus, concentration and brain function, turn off the
television and take a walk.
