
Brief aerobic exercise immediately enhances attention and perceptual speed - laurex
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0001691817301336
======
zimbatm
For the past month I started doing 7 minutes of cardio every morning with a
ridiculous YouTube video[1]. Just 7 minutes! It improves my mood level, energy
for the whole day, I have better core strength, makes me want to move more
overall.

I wanted to share this because to me it always looked like "doing sports" was
to invest multiple 1-2h sessions per week and going all hardcore. Which is
quite demotivating frankly speaking.

So if you are a couch potato like me then know that a bit of cardio is already
showing good results. The best thing is that I am not exhausted afterwards so
it can be done every day.

[1]:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yL_dE81O_mw](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yL_dE81O_mw)

~~~
sacado2
For strength training, I can only recommend the "minimalist routine" from the
bodyweightfitness subreddit[1]. Basically, push-ups, rows, lunges and planks.
Works all major muscle groups, needs very little to no material, and will not
take more than a few minutes, every other day. A good example of the 80/20
law: that and a few cardio training (can be as simple as walking everytime you
are given the opportunity) does not seem to be a lot, but it's way better than
nothing.

[1]
[https://www.reddit.com/r/bodyweightfitness/comments/6u0nne/c...](https://www.reddit.com/r/bodyweightfitness/comments/6u0nne/concept_wednesday_the_minimalist_routine/)

~~~
HeadsUpHigh
I think you should add bodyweight squats or get creative with heavy objects
you have around for extra weight. And if you can get a pullup bar, there is
nothing replacing pullups for upper back strength. They help with everything
including rounded shoulders( and you can do jump negatives to begin with).

~~~
Jeff_Brown
> there is nothing replacing pullups for upper back strength

From a theoretical biomechanical perspective I would agree. My own subjective
data, though, suggests that deadlifts cover approximately all of those
muscles, and more. Also a barbell and some weights might be cheaper than a
pullup bar -- at least if you plan on periodically repairing the door frame
the pullup bar attaches to.

~~~
therealdrag0
I've had a good experience with this type of pullup bar that pinches the wall
([http://a.co/d/fL4oSCV](http://a.co/d/fL4oSCV)). It's only left some very
minor dimples in the dry-wall.

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edoo
One of the best tricks I used growing up was doing 10 pushups every time I
died in games like counterstrike. The increased blood flow to the brain
slightly increases your intelligence and decreases response times. It also
acted as a gate to recklessness since you try harder not to lose. On top of
that you get in pretty good shape if you game a lot.

~~~
fabricexpert
I used to do push ups until the round restarted, which could be 2 or 3 minutes
long - it was a good incentive not to die early on!

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andai
I saw an interesting study that found in ADHD individuals, aerobic exercise
immediately before a test improved concentration to beyond normal levels,
while in non-ADHD people it made them perform worse. I will see if I can find
it.

~~~
CelestialTeapot
This might be it. GE-EF is the ADHD with exercise group, GC-EF is the non-ADHD
with exercise group.

[https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/7585/7b94628b425919efde51db...](https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/7585/7b94628b425919efde51dbf8ff45c4998e8c.pdf)

~~~
lelf
Yep. Found it too (independently, haven’t updated the comments). Another link
(same paper)
[https://www.researchgate.net/publication/274087768_Measureme...](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/274087768_Measurement_of_the_Effect_of_Physical_Exercise_on_the_Concentration_of_Individuals_with_ADHD)

> The results of this study also show that the GC group has a performance that
> is 42% better than the GC-EF group. These data seem indicate that after an
> intense physical exercise, people without ADHD show impairment in attention
> performance. However, this hypothesis requires further studies, which
> include the assessment of the duration of this effect.

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0xcde4c3db
The headline is truncated and thereby misleading. The full headline is:

"Brief aerobic exercise immediately enhances visual attentional control and
perceptual speed. Testing the mediating role of feelings of energy"

In other words, this study took some amount of cognitive enhancement across
the subjects as a given and was designed to test for a correlation between
that effect and reports of feeling energized by exercise, which the authors
did report finding. If the numbers and methodology back that up, it suggests a
couple of obvious (and not mutually exclusive) possibilities:

1) There is a primarily psychological mechanism, with the belief that a
practice is energizing being a key factor. Note that the control group
practiced relaxation techniques, which is arguably the opposite of an
energizing practice.

2) Both the experience of feeling energized and the increase in cognitive
performance are mediated by some physiological difference in exercise
response. For example, it may be that some portion of the population has
subclinical exercise intolerance (which is mostly studied in relation to
cardiovascular disease, but has also been linked to mitochondrial dysfunction,
neurological conditions, and sleep apnea).

~~~
JoeAltmaier
or 3) the cognitive improvements were imaginary. If they didn't measure them,
we have no idea if they were real?

~~~
sp332
They did measure them, so I'm not sure what you're getting at.

~~~
JoeAltmaier
Sorry, I mis-interpreted. I thought only speed was measured/improved, not any
other cognitive performance

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christophilus
I do a DareBee[0] break several times a day, whenever I find myself getting
frustrated with the code I'm working on. It's super helpful.

[0] [https://darebee.com/](https://darebee.com/)

~~~
i_am_good
Thanks for sharing this!

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thecopy
I normaly ride my bike hard every morning to work (3,6 km). Compared to how i
feel when i take the tram to work i definitely feel a lot clearer and sharper
when i take the bike. Also, another benefit is that i can get to work in 10
minutes door-to-door with the bike, the tram takes around 20 minutes, and
sometime i have to wait an extra 5 minutes if i miss the first.

~~~
ehnto
I try to ride ny bike, but failing that the brisk 10 minute walk from train to
work is usually pretty invigorating. When I take the car I am almost
definitely grumpy by the end of the trip.

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gdubs
Biking to work is one of the best habits I've ever developed. In the beginning
I could handle a couple of days a week. I've gotten to a point where I prefer
it over driving, even on days I feel a little under the weather.

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Melchizedek
Protip: If you're mentally tired, do some unweighted squats and pushups, then
wait a couple of minutes before getting back to work. Enjoy feeling refreshed!

~~~
icebraining
Doesn't work for me at all. It just leaves me grumpy. And sweaty, which helps
even less.

~~~
pc86
Why does it leave you grumpy? What is upsetting about 45 seconds of light
exercise?

~~~
icebraining
How should I know? It's not a conscious decision, it's just an effect.

Some kinds of exercise (e.g. biking for 30m) don't have that effect, but some
others do.

~~~
pc86
It would be worth testing out various forms of exercise and seeing what the
common factor is in this you enjoy v. those you don't.

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keehun
I also find that whenever I feel sluggish, I get up and get a big glass of
water. I then drink that on the spot and then fill up another one before
getting back to my desk. Helps tremendously.

~~~
bad_good_guy
God damn I love water. It shocks me no end that some people have trouble
drinking enough water, or even hearing some people say they hate water.

~~~
taborj
I love water, but still had a hard time drinking enough (and, of course,
incorrect diet choices) to keep kidney stones away. Twice (with 15 years
between).

Now I'm a water junkie. 3-4 liters a day, every day. Also cut out high-oxalate
foods (RIP peanuts, I miss you).

Seriously, folks -- drink your water. Keep a water bottle handy, and make sure
you go through it a couple times a day.

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elchief
I was studying for the GMAT in Palm Beach in 08. And working out heavily at
the gym. I noticed that i did much worse at test questions after a big
workout. I'm sure you do better long run, but a heavy workout can tire you out
enough to slow your brain a bit

~~~
GarvielLoken
"BRIEF AEROBIC exercise immediately enhances visual attentional control and
perceptual speed..."

"...And working out HEAVILY at the GYM..."

~~~
ehnto
Weightlifting tends not to be all that aerobic, and you can end up pretty
delerious after very heavy movements. I would be in no mood to think hard
after 5 sets of heavy squats!

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jangasiewski
Hi guys, we are building an app - TimeFit - that I think addresses this issue.
The short description of what we do is: During a break from work the app will
give you advice on what physical exercises you should do, what exercises for
eyes and what snacks to eat.

We have called a break during which you try to do the recommended activities a
Power Break as it enhances your productivity and wellbeing. You don't need to
do a Power Break every time you take a break but three or four times a day
will give you a great boost.

Please check our page for designs:
[https://www.timefit.mobi](https://www.timefit.mobi)

Let me know what you guys think about this idea. We will very much appreciate
any feedback :)

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parliament32
Not quite "immediate" but I've noticed I feel far more awake when I go for a
run or swim in the morning before work. Days I skip the morning workout I find
myself drinking way too much coffee trying to clear the head fog.

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markroseman
While most people intuitively would agree with the headline, the study itself
doesn't add a whole lot. Single study with 100-ish undergrads, evaluated only
via the standard 'trails' test. Not a bad beginning, but a broader audience, a
wider set of neuropsychiatric measurements and quantifying the duration of
effects would be good to see.

~~~
cultus
There’s been a lot of work showing mental benefits of exercise in general. It
also seems to line up with my experience.

Of course, this isn’t a particularly high quality study, and exercise science
is as bad as social psychology with regards to replication.

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mrdoops
Best investment I've ever made is a small-group training membership. The
workout is good, but learning the exercises I can do in my bedroom when I'm
feeling restless is priceless. Very enabling.

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seanwilson
I don't have access to the PDF...how big a difference was there? 1%
improvement? 50% improvement?

~~~
piotreksz9
Essentially, the researcher introduced a Vigor Activity (VA) variable which
assesses various aspects of your mental readiness. They monitored the values
of VA pre and post workout. The mean value pre workout is 18.13, post workout
20.23. The values in control group are significantly different (also lower
post workout) + the variance also decreases after the exercise.

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sAbakumoff
Working out is like taking mini doze of Ritalin and Prozac at the same time.

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choot
I used to cover 4 km in 5-10 minutes to school everyday on my moutain bike.
Used to leave exactly at 6:55 when school starts at 7:05.

If I went slow, I would have definitely missed the class, this forced me to
ride as fast as I could.

It definitely enhanced my cognitive skills.

~~~
czechdeveloper
Sounds nice, but I would just sweat for another 30 minutes and look all kinds
of unpleasant. But good for you if you could pull it off.

~~~
pbhjpbhj
Do either of those matter more than the exercise and cognitive improvement?

~~~
MaxLeiter
Well having a quality social life is imperative to mental health

~~~
liotier
Pro tip: dry shirt in your backpack.

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gaius
I’ve often wished I could just drop for 20 beside my desk to get the blood
pumping but that would be considered super-weird anywhere I’ve worked
recently.

~~~
mikekchar
It's only weird the first couple of times you do it. After that, it will be
_your thing_. People get used to things by seeing it frequently. It's like if
someone wore a really stupid hat to work. The first time you see it, you think
"Hmm... that guy is strange". After a while you still think the hat is
strange, but it's normal in the context of the person. There may be people who
discriminate against you, but likely the damage will be small (especially for
something like push ups).

~~~
k__
This.

We had a guy who put an inflatable mattress inside an empty office and took
naps there on his breaks.

First people laughed, after a week it was just "his thing".

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saiya-jin
Why is this such a big news? Its logical, any other result with moderate
exercise wouldn't make much sense. Hard/long effort will tire you also
mentally for some time, again makes complete sense. Deep breathing will also
wake you up, to certain point, after that you become dizzy with too much O2 in
your blood. Meditation or mindfulness exercise will slower your heart rate and
make you feel cold. I could go on and on like this whole day.

Its nice if there is a scientific proof for logical behavior of reality but it
shouldn't make big news for anybody here. If there is some proven discovery of
at-first-glance-illogical behavior of our bodies or reality, now that's
something newsworthy.

~~~
kristiandupont
"It's common sense that the sun revolves around the earth".

Logic is only helpful if you have the right premises. You might well have
that, but they could also be too simplistic. Case in point, meditating tends
to make me feel not cold but warmer (specifically, if I have cold hands and
feet, that goes away).

~~~
saiya-jin
Then you're doing something different (not claiming wrong if it works for you)
than what meditation generally is supposed to achieve. There can be various
reasons, but its definitely not the standard output nor in me nor any person I
know is meditating.

~~~
kristiandupont
I am guessing you are not suggesting that the goal with meditation is to
achieve cold hands, so maybe you are assuming that my heart rate goes up or
something similar. However, I can assure you that is not the case.

There are theories that Raynaud's syndrome (unreasonably cold hands and feet)
can be triggered by stress and so one could hypothesize that the opposite
holds true as well. That may be related, or it may not be. I am just pointing
out that such a simplistic view of something so extremely complex like our
bodies can be misleading.

~~~
saiya-jin
I am not writing about cold hands, feet or Raynaud's syndrome or any other
health issues, don't know where you did take it from. I am talking about
slowing heart rate, and subsequently the body will slightly cool down,
depending on how much you slow down the heart rate. Of course extremities is
where cooling down is felt first, but this is normal for any healthy human.

This is a normal reaction of any healthy body (lower heart rate -> lower
temperature), ask any doctor or consult any relevant medical book. This
experience also comes from my fiancee who is a doctor, with same reasoning.
Something they use sometimes at their work (or reverse effect).

You might be doing something during your meditation that counters this natural
effect (physically or mentally), I don't know and frankly it's not much
relevant to the discussion. Or do you have any scientific resource that proves
the opposite effect is true?

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jeromebaek
It baffles me how some people need Science to know what you can easily know by
(gasp) moving your body.

