We have all experienced those ‘tip of the tongue’ moments where a word we are looking for lingers frustratingly beyond our reach. These moments often feel like a ‘mental glitch’ and though we haven’t forgotten the word or its meaning, formulating it becomes impossible.
Researchers at the University of Birmingham have looked into these ‘fuzzy moments’ and have found that being physically fit can reduce their frequency.
Their evidence demonstrated that as age increases, so too do cognitive deficits. However, it is not all bad news. The study showed that as a person’s aerobic capacity improved, so too did word recall time. So, the fitter someone is, the less likely he or she is going to go through that “what is that word again?” moment of mental block.
This is not the first study to acknowledge that fitness has widespread effects on the brain. Nor is it the first to observe the major benefits of moving more as you age. It further emphasises the evidence that moving more benefits not just the body but the mind. Whether you are an avid scrabble player looking for ways to improve, or have been finding the weekly crossword harder and harder to solve; the link between exercise and word recall time highlights that getting moving may be just the thing you need to get the cognitive ball rolling again.
Credits: Image courtesy of lifecorefit