Think Better: Sharpen Decision Making, Memory and Creativity with the Strategic Use of Movement
Confined to our homes or not, "move more" is a powerful mantra. Physical activity not only improves overall health, focus, and stress management, it supercharges decision-making, creativity, and memory. What if you used it strategically?
I’m fascinated by the body-mind connection, perhaps because I spend so much time in my head that my body cries out for movement. Not only does exercise make you feel good by releasing endorphins and serotonin, it also helps relieve stress. I like my martial arts classes for that. Based on the latest research, there are other strategic ways we can use movement to think better. Here’s a quick summary.
Executive Function and Decision Making
For the modest investment of thirty minutes of moderate aerobic exercise in the morning, we can get a return in the form of better decision making all day long. According to researchers from the University of Western Australia, “Exercise can acutely improve cognition.”
We can enhance executive function further with three-minute breaks of low-intensity walking every 30 minutes throughout the day. Just as a reminder, here is Webster’s definition of executive function: "the group of complex mental processes and cognitive abilities (such as working memory, impulse inhibition, and reasoning) that control the skills (such as organizing tasks, remembering details, managing time, and solving problems) required for goal-directed behavior."
That’s worth 30-minutes plus three-minute breaks.
Memory
If you really want to step up your memory, do regular exercise, especially barefoot running and yoga.
Add high-intensity interval training, for overall cognitive improvement, especially four hours after you learn something to bolster retention.
If you need to remember words, do so right after a workout on a stationary bike. Thirty minutes of moderate-intensity exertion on a stationary bike stimulates semantic memory immediately after a workout.
If you want to improve your memory of visual patterns, do a HIIT session. High intensity interval training improves high-interference memory, the one that recognizes familiar visual patterns.
Creativity
If you’ve never heard of divergent and convergent thinking, rest assured that regular exercise impacts both. They are two major components of creative thinking. Walking in and of itself can increase creative output by as much as 60%.
And, of course
Exercise also improves our mood and mental health, and increases our resilience to stress.
So, move more!
