Boost memory with a few steps

AS little as five minutes of lowimpact exercise may help students remember what they have been taught.

University of New South Wales psychologist and researcher Dr Steven Most says the findings are encouraging because it suggests memory retention is boosted by minimal exercise, potentially allowing everyone to benefit, regardless of their fitness level.

“One take home message, particularly for those who are academically driven and feel guilty about stepping away from the books, is that it’s OK to have a break [and do some exercise],’’ he says.

The study showed women who did five minutes of low-impact step aerobics after learning remembered the learned material better than those who did no exercise.

While the results were not true of men, Most says this may be because research participants had learned to pair male names with male faces and suggested men may have similarly benefited if women’s names and faces were used.

Nevertheless, he says the minimal effort involved should encourage all students to incorporate some exercise after study in a bid to reap the benefits.

Hannah Yee, 21, who is completing her Honours degree in psychology, believes improving memory retention can make studying less onerous. “Exercise gives me more energy and more alertness and I think that definitely helps with studying,’’ she says.