Answer to 10 down could be two flights of stairs up

CLIMBING the stairs before doing crosswords could help you solve the clues, a new study has found.

The research suggests walking up only two flights of stairs can help stimulate the brain and help with problem solving. Previous studies have found that physical activity assist concentration by getting more blood circulating to the brain, but the exact amount needed has never been clear.

Now, a team of Japanese researchers at Yamaguchi University has discovered that a small amount of modest exertion is all that is required.

Researchers recruited 52 volunteers in their 20s and gave them each a test to assess problem-solving abilities and capacity for creative thinking. They were split up, with some asked to take a lift up eight floors, while others climbed all eight floors and the rest only went up two flights of steps. Afterwards, all the recruits were given a second set of tests. The results, published in the journal

Scientific Reports, showed that those who took the stairs performed better on the second occasion than those in the lift. Those who performed best, however, were those who climbed only two flights of stairs rather than the full eight.

The researchers believe that may be because the longer climb was much more physically demanding and less enjoyable for the participants.

The scientists concluded: “This study highlights the substantial impact of brief, very light-intensity physical activity, exemplified by two-flight stair climbing. Contrary to the prevalent emphasis on higher-intensity activities for cognitive benefits, our findings suggest that very light-intensity activities may also offer significant advantages, especially for convergent thinking.”

Previous studies have suggested that the parts of the brain that control thinking and memory are larger in people who exercise than in people who do not.

A study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society found that tai chi showed potential to enhance cognitive function in older people.

‘Our findings suggest that very light-intensity activities may also offer significant advantages’

Cruciverbalists struggling with today’s Telegraph crossword need to get exercising, it seems. A team of Japanese scientists at Yamaguchi University say climbing the stairs before trying to work out a fiendish anagram helps solve the clue. The good news for those comfortably ensconced is that only modest exertion is required. Researchers recruited 52 volunteers in their twenties and gave them each a test to assess their problem-solving abilities and capacity for creative thinking. The study showed that walking up two flights stimulates the brain and aids problem solving more effectively than climbing eight flights. The researchers believe the more demanding exercise was less enjoyable for the participants and diminished their cognitive powers. Presumably the lift was out of order.