The good news is that to improve your concentration and focus you don’t need to be a weekend warrior by running marathons or competing in an ironman. Research has shown that 30-60 minutes of walking, 3 times a week has positive effects on the brain, reducing stress and putting you in a productive brain state. Even as little as 10 minutes a day was shown to boost school children’s concentration. Don’t sit there, get out and go for a walk.
In this series of blogs and videosI’m looking at how you can focus your attention to achieve more in the same amount of time at work – and then get out of the office an hour earlier.
It’s late at the office, you’ve bought your gear for a workout but it seems like it will be better to do another hour’s work than go to the gym. We all know we should exercise because it is good for our body. Now research is showing us that exercise is also good for our brain. If you want to be sharper at work, exercise is the fourth of my twelve tips to help you focus and concentrate.
Here is how exercise helps you be sharper
1. Jogging helps jog your memory: Some of the most interesting recent research shows that brain capacity increases in adults who exercise more. A study of a group of adults that exercised (compared to a sedentary group) showed they had more connections in the area responsible for memory, the hippocampus. So exercise improves your memory.
2. Reducing stress and improving mood: High levels of stress stop you thinking clearly as you are in the defensive brain mode. The neurotransmitter adrenaline and cortisol are in control. When you exercise you reduce the levels of these neurotransmitters, and also you release endorphins, the feel good chemical. Endorphins help turn on your discovery brain and make you more creative and productive.
3. Refocusing: It is hard to worry about a work problem when you’re concentrating on where to put your feet or where to hit the ball or enjoying being out in the nature. Through exercise you refocus, and with your feel good hit of endorphins, you will improve your concentration (watch the video).
4. Get a good night’s sleep: Sleep improves your ability to focus, complete tasks and generate new ideas. If you are having trouble sleeping then a regular exercise regime can help.
How much exercise do you need?
The good news is that to improve your concentration and focus you don’t need to be a weekend warrior by running marathons or competing in an ironman. Research has shown that 30-60 minutes of walking, 3 times a week has positive effects on the brain, reducing stress and putting you in a productive brain state. Even as little as 10 minutes a day was shown to boost school children’s concentration. They could better block out distractions and were more able to focus.
So if you want to improve your memory and be more focused, then don’t sit there, get out and do some exercise.
