"It
does not matter how slowly you go, as long as you do not stop." Confucius.
According to multiple studies, aerobic exercises such as walking, can have a big positive
impact on the temporal lobe of your brain. The temporal lobe is involved in
learning and memory as well as sensory functions3.
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| Lobes of the cerebral cortex Picture from Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_brain) |
The newly
released game, Pokémon Go, has influenced many adults and children to take long
fun walks in order to fully enjoy the experience of the game (hatching eggs as
well as finding Pokémon themselves). Owing to the entertaining nature of the
game, people playing it are far more likely to walk longer distances than when
just using a treadmill. Being distracted, having fun with friends
or family while playing the game, is what drives the extra miles.
A study from Boston University School of Medicine1 has shown that
"young adults who have greater aerobic fitness also have greater volume of
their entorhinal cortex"1.The Entorhinal
cortex is located right by the hypothalamus on the temporal lobe. Its functions
include encoding, retrieving and consolidating memories as well as learning. In
the study, healthy young adults ranging in age from 18 to 35, underwent a treadmill
test. Entorhinal and hippocampal activities were measured. Results showed that
aerobic exercise has a "positive effect on the temporal lobe memory
system"1.
In another study
done at the Center of Brain Health Research2
a group of 36 sedentary adults aged between 56 and 75 were randomly divided
into 2 groups. One group would perform a physical training (3, 60 mins sessions
per week cycling or on a treadmill)(5 minutes of warmup, 50 minutes of workout and 5 minutes of
cooldown). The other group would
perform a manualized brain training. This study mainly focuses on which group
would experience global brain blood flow gain as it is linked to greater neural
health.
It was found
that the physical training group showed increases in immediate and delayed
memory performance (this increase was not seen on the cognitive training
group.)2. The cognitive training
group did experienced an 8% global brain blood flow gain and positive changes in executive brain function. Interesting enough,
the physical activity group did show high cerebral blood flow to the bilateral
hippocampi. The bilateral hippocampi includes the Entorhinal cortex, which, as
mentioned above, is heavily involved in memory.
We can conclude
that implementing aerobic exercises into our weekly routine, as a college student,
will bring great benefits regarding our education. Not only will we be able
to remember what we study in the long-term but will also be able to show
it on our midterms and finals.
All the college students out there playing this game, or any other that influences you to take long fun walks, will have a nice advantage this upcoming semester. So get walking!
All the college students out there playing this game, or any other that influences you to take long fun walks, will have a nice advantage this upcoming semester. So get walking!
References:
- Boston University Medical Center. "Physical activity and aerobic exercise helps keep brain healthy." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 2 December 2015. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/12/151202132517.htm>.
- Chapman SB, Aslan S, Spence JS, Keebler MW, DeFina LF, Didehbani N, Perez AM, Lu H and D'Esposito M (2016) Distinct Brain and Behavioral Benefits from Cognitive vs. Physical Training: A Randomized Trial in Aging Adults. Front. Hum. Neurosci. 10:338. doi: 10.3389/fnhum.2016.00338
- "Parts of the Brain - Memory & the Brain - The Human Memory." Parts of the Brain - Memory & the Brain - The Human Memory. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Aug. 2016.
