Exercise has many health benefits, both physical and mental. Yes, regular exercise is a good memory-booster. But one recent study says exercise is even better at boosting memory function when you do it in the morning.
The study followed 67 men and women with ages ranging from 55 to 80 years old. All the participants exercise on a treadmill. During their workday, some participants took a break with a 3-minute walk while others did not.
Among the cognitive tests done with the participants include attention, psychomotor function, working memory, and executive function. It showed that exercising in the morning and taking walks during breaks are found to improved working memory.
The researchers say that sitting uninterruptedly, especially for long hours, is terrible and should be avoided to maintain cognitive function throughout the day optimally.
Also, the researchers recommend brisk walking or any moderate-intensity exercises daily to maintain better brain health.
A morning bout of moderate-intensity exercise improves serum BDNF and working memory or executive function in older adults, depending on whether or not subsequent sitting is also interrupted with intermittent light-intensity walking.
Wheeler MJ, Green DJ, Ellis KA, et al
Distinct effects of acute exercise and breaks in sitting on working memory and executive function in older adults: a three-arm, randomised cross-over trial to evaluate the effects of exercise with and without breaks in sitting on cognition
British Journal of Sports Medicine Published Online First: 29 April 2019. doi: 10.1136/bjsports-2018-100168
Regular exercise has positive brain-changing benefits, including better mood and improved memory. Plus, it protects against many brain degenerative conditions.
Hence, it is worth waking up early in the morning and do the daily morning exercise routine.
What If There Is No Time To Exercise In The Morning?
For some reason, some people cannot exercise in the morning. But don't let that hinder you from engaging in regular exercise. Exercising regularly, regardless of the time of the day, still has many health benefits.
Doing exercise at any time of the day may not have the same effect when doing it in the morning but still clearly beneficial to improving and maintaining brain function.
Hence, a daily afternoon or late evening walk is significantly better than sitting watching TV. Moreover, doing natural movements throughout the day is just as beneficial.
Of course, regular exercise is effective prevention or at least slows down the loss muscles due to aging. And, it improves mobility and many other countless benefits.
And, lastly, always make exercise a habit and part of your lifestyle along with proper nutrition. Exercise and proper diet are keys to not only living a longer but healthier and happier life.