Really?
Might I be able to increase my brain power, and presumably my effectiveness at work?
A new, powerful study shows that many people, even in their 20s and 30s, can increase brain power. It’s not just a static quantity that was built into your genes from day one.
That’s the good news. The bad news is that it’s not free: it takes precious time out of your week.
Curious?
I was too, when I saw a recent large-scale study reported in the Oct 8, 2019 New York Times.
The study looked at 1,200 men and women average age 30, who volunteered to have MRI brain scans. The scans looked at white matter, which consists of the many connections between neurons and brain matter. More robust white matter = healthier brains.
The researchers tested the volunteers on how far they could walk in two minutes, a proxy for physical fitness.
The stunner:
The more fit they were, the healthier their white matter, and the better they performed on memory and thinking skills
This really surprised the scientists. They already knew that fit rats had higher intelligence and memory. And fitter old people do better than unfit ones.
But people in their 20s and 30s?
As a career coach, it grabbed my attention. My clients could do better at work by exercising?
Well, yes — many of them. But only the ones who aren’t already fit. (Fitees can stop reading here.)
If you are less fit, and want a brain boost, apparently you can get it —
— by heading to the gym, playing sports, or whatever you can do to get fit. Get a gym buddy and make it more fun? (The study didn’t go into how the subjects achieved their fitness, or what the levels were.)
The findings can be mixed news for those of you who already have days that are crammed full with long work hours. That’s a huge problem in our crazy, overworked society: Where to find the time?
Here’s the payoff, though: “Even at a young age, physical fitness has beneficial effects not just on the body, but also on brain health and brain functioning”.
This gives new meaning to the old advice: “Work smart”.