Cognify Your Fitness

One of the next big trends in fitness is combined physical-cognitive training. Older adults are concerned about staying mentally sharp and avoiding dementia as they age, while younger populations are eager to get an “edge” on their competitors (sports or business) and are now more aware than ever of the benefits of training their minds as well as their bodies. Others just want to be able to “gamify” their exercise programming to make it more fun and engaging. Here are just a few fun low-tech ways to start introducing cognitive load into your exercise programs.

Dual-Tasking

Dual-tasking occurs when a person is asked to perform a physical activity and an unrelated cognitive task at the same time. For example, performing repetitions of a resistance exercise while naming words that start with the letter “F”, walking while counting backwards by 7s, or solving basic math problems while riding a stationary bike. During these activities, the brain is being nourished with blood, oxygen, glucose and other positive neurotrophins that can enhance cognitive performance. Several studies show that dual-tasking can improve cognitive performance in some populations, even when cognitive tasks are performed following aerobic exercise (Karssemeijer et al., 2017; Bamidis et al., 2014). But make note, a key element seems to be that the exercise must be performed at a moderate-to-vigorous intensity.

Exercise Flow Drill

There are many different aspects to memory including immediate and delayed recall, which can be challenged by giving a sequence of movements or tasks that the individual must perform in the same manner and in the same order. The movements can be demonstrated without verbal cueing or can be verbally described, or both. A series may include three to eight movements, which can be given all at once or built upon the previous sequence (as in the classic “Simon” electronic game). The movements can be almost any exercise movement or task.

Clock Drill

Tasks often require the use of several cognitive functions simultaneously. For the Clock Drill, imagine standing in the middle of a clock face and make sure there is room to move in all directions. As a time is called out, step or lunge toward that time on the clock and return to the starting position as quickly as possible. It could be one number at a time or three to four at once.  Remember to do it in the proper sequence. Variations include stepping to even numbers with the right foot and stepping to odd numbers with the left; stepping with the right or left foot only; or performing a different movement when a specific time is called (e.g., do a jump squat if 12:00 is called). To increase the complexity of this game, turn 90 degrees to the right, which means you are now facing 3:00 on the clock face. Repeat the game in the same manner as before. This will be much more challenging and require more time to repeat because spatial orientation has been changed. This drill works on auditory, memory, reaction time, visual attention (if numbers are shown), dynamic balance, dual tasking, coordination, and other variables, depending on how it is performed.

These are just a few of the low-tech ways to use exercise to enhance cognition. It is important to keep in mind that this is a fast-emerging area of study, and researchers continue to uncover new insights and exciting directions about the intricate connection between movement and cognition and optimal strategies to enhance the health of both.