If you need any more persuasion to get active – even if that means actually leaving your desk over lunch – then this new study proves how even quick exercise sessions can prove beneficial.
A new study has shown how small bursts of exercise can be beneficial
Leading busy lives, many of us for better or worse can be guilty of putting our physical health at the bottom of our list. Meaning sometimes the hour-long circuit session can get passed over for a late night of catching up on emails.
But the good news is that you don’t need to carve 90 minutes out of your day to reap any rewards for raising your heart rate, and in fact, the benefits can extend beyond burning some extra calories.
A new study conducted at Oregon Health & Science University has demonstrated that short bouts of exercise can be beneficial for brain function, too. Neuroscientists that conducted tests on mice discovered that exercise in small doses directly boosts the function of a gene that increases connections between neurons in the hippocampus, the region of the brain associated with learning and memory.
The study, which was published in eLife journal, focused on how exercise affects brain function primarily as opposed to, for example, increase oxygen reaching the organ thanks to the overall benefit of an increased heart rate.
They found that with a workout that is the equivalent of 4,000 steps to humans can make the mind ‘prime’ for learning.
Previous studies have shown that short bursts of exercise such as switching out the lift for the stairs can improve cardiovascular health, a quick workout before meals can help control blood sugar levels while others have shown that even a ten-minute workout can help subjects focus.
Is it time to switch the lengthy workouts for speedy sports? Maybe so.
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