Imagine this, it’s almost finals week and you’ve already planned your study schedule so you don’t end up cramming. And after spending long hours of studying, you finally had free time to do something for yourself, now here’s the question, what should you do? Well, you’ll probably call your friends to hang out and unwind, but what if we tell you that there’s one activity that won’t just relieve your stress, it will also help boost brainpower – in other words, it will help you remember everything that you’ve studied.
Interested in this fun activity now? It’s EXERCISING, and yes, by simply hitting the gym and doing workouts, you get to improve your recalling ability, making it easier for you to focus on the lessons you’ve studied. At first, it may seem like an unbelievable claim. Don't worry, we thought that way too, but this has been backed by science, so it's not like we're making things up. So, by all means, finish this article and learn something new and awesome today.
According to an article published at Scientific American, a recent experiment revealed that people who did even a simple workout like handgrip and leg press shortly before or after learning did better on various tests of recall in the days and hours (even weeks) that followed. In other words, you get to better retain information that you learned when you workout.
Experts believe that the reason for this is physical arousal. Exercising arouses the body the same way as emotional experience does. And in case you didn’t know, emotional memories have already been proven to last the longest. However, researchers also have a word for those who want to try this out - make sure to study well first.
Now, here are things to consider before you call your friends and attend yoga class - what's the best time for you to work out, is it in the morning or the afternoon?
Morning workouts usually have the most benefit since we are at our peak at 7 AM, which means that our cortisol and growth hormones levels are elevated boosting one’s metabolism. Afternoon workouts are perfect for boosting energy and improving mood if you have had a busy schedule, better run for at least 15 minutes to knock off our sluggish mood. While night workouts are the best for de-stressing after a long day at work. It depends on you when you should work out but we hope you make use of this newfound research and study+exercise to ace your test. And by the way, vigorous exercise can’t help you retain your lessons so better keep your workouts light.1
Reference:
1. https://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/08/07/how-exercise-can-help-us-learn/
