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With Minimum Effort for Better Brain Processing: Study Shows Benefits From Only 10 Minutes of Running
That sounds like good news for some!
Indeed it is, though we know that short exercise interventions can have suprisingly large benefits such as multiple 3-minute walks during the day.
So do I really only need to run for 10 minutes to reap the benefits of exercise?
Yes, indeed, Damrongtha et al. from the University of Tuskuba in Japan have just published a study in which 26 healthy participants underwent a 10 -minute run and were then tested for cognitive function and reported on their mood. They also had blood flow analysed in the prefrontal part of the brain using functional near-infrared spectroscopy.
And what were the results?
Good all round! There was decreased time needed on the cognitive task, increased mood, and increased blood flow in the prefrontal cortex which is and important area for all sorts of cognitive and executive functions such as attention, error detection, emotional regulation, etc.
So this after only 10 minutes! Hang on a sec though, how intensive was this 10 minutes?
Good question, this is also good news. The 10-minute run was only of moderate intensity. So no need to go full out, just a moderate run of 10 minutes is good…
