Mind-Body Fitness Research

Three Minutes for Memory

According to the British Journal of Sports Medicine, a morning bout of exercise combined with light-intensity walking — so-called brain breaks — for as few as three minutes throughout the day boosted both decision-making and short-term memory, relative to uninterrupted sitting.

Researchers found that brain-derived neurotrophic growth factor, a protein involved in the survival and growth of information-transmitting neurons in the brain, was elevated for eight hours during both exercise conditions. Yet another reason to set your alarm a little earlier!

Workout to Prevent Alzheimer’s

According to research published in the Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society, one 30-minute workout increased activation in the parts of the brain associated with memory — most notably in the hippocampus, which shrinks with age and is the first part attacked by Alzheimer’s. Flex your brain regularly while you work your body to easily keep your gray matter in the pink.

Can You Eat Too Clean?

Research says yes. A pathological obsession with healthy eating or consuming only healthy food is known as orthorexia nervosa. This preoccupation can become physically and socially impairing. It also often leads to malnourishment, makes it difficult to socialize, and is expensive and time-consuming. A healthier way of looking at nutrition is the 80/20 approach: Eat clean 80 percent of the time and indulge 20 percent of the time to keep both your body and brain on a healthy track.