Delayed exercising after learning helps memory retention

Trying to learn a new skill? Taking a training course with an exam at the end? Experts say delaying exercising after learning can actually help you retain information.

Researchers studied 72 healthy volunteers, who each spent 40 minutes learning the location of 90 objects on a screen. One group immediately went into a 35-minute workout session, another group watched nature documentaries for four hours before exercising, and a final group acted as a control, not working out at all. To eliminate time of day as a factor, each group was subdivided to perform the experiment at 9am and noon. Two days later, the participants were quizzed on their memory of the objects on the screen.

The control group and the ones that exercised immediately scored about the same on the test. The group that delayed their workout performed better overall. Researchers took into account the original test scores to be sure people with good or bad memories didn’t affect the results.

Next, researchers studied scans of the participants’ brains that focus on blood flow. Those who exercised later showed stronger activity in the hippocampus, the part of the brain that controls memory, compared to the other groups.

The researchers admit the study doesn’t show why this happens, which would require more in-depth research. They also didn’t test different delay times or whether the results hold up for longer than two days.

However, it’s still decent evidence that exercising after learning – four hours later, at least – can help you remember important information.

Read the original article at bit.ly/28IEz58