Exercise and Memory Retention
We are nearing the time of year that exams finish, and like most years, I have had a fair number of university students present with anxiety over being able to do what it needed in their exams to score the grades that they require. For many years, I have recommended using exercise as a means of assisting with memory retention. In other words, do some revision then take a bike ride or a run and then get back to it.
I suggested this as I felt that the exercise would help to burn off the adrenaline caused by the anxiety of performing well. It would appear that there are other reasons why exercise and memory retention is a very good combination.
In Holland, Dutch researchers have been studying the effects of exercise on memory retention, and the view is that chemical compounds produced during physical exercise like dopamine and norepinephrine can assist in improving memory.
Apparently, exercise is particularly good in consolidating weak memories. So it is apparent that exercise have even greater benefits than I have suggested to clients in the past and it will remain a staple suggestion for both weight management and performance enhancement.
