Are you a person who gets their groove on? This propensity to move in sync with the rhythm of music, especially during exercise, could prove particularly beneficial to your brain's health. — AFP
Sleep, coffee, omega-3 fatty acids and intellectual activities are all effective in improving cognitive performance, but there are also more playful (and fun) habits to adopt on a daily basis.
A recent study, published in the journal Neuroscience, praises the benefits of listening to music with a groove during physical activity – something said to have a positive effect on cognitive functions such as concentration and judgment.
“Get into the groove,” sang Madonna back in the 1980s; this tune could, without you even being aware of it, provide a boost to some of your cognitive functions.
Researchers from the University of Tsukuba in Japan suggest that the act of exercising in sync with a rhythm enhances the function of the prefrontal cortex.
This is the brain region associated with decision-making, emotional control, working memory, concentration and attention.
However, it’s not a question of just listening to any old music while you exercise: it’s what the researchers are calling “groove rhythm” that promotes such beneficial effects on the brain.
According to the Cambridge Dictionary, groove is “a musical rhythm that is enjoyable and makes you want to move or dance”.
This rhythm is often associated with genres like rock and funk, for example, but not exclusively.
The researchers include even more musical styles in their definition of groove: “Listening to rhythmic music, particularly music with a pronounced groove, elicits a heightened sense of excitement, prompting individuals to instinctively move their bodies in sync with the rhythm.”
They go on to state in a press release that “this natural tendency to move in harmony with music” is the very essence of groove.
Building on earlier work, which had already shown that simply listening to “groove rhythm” boosted executive function in the prefrontal cortex, the scientists turned their attention to the potential synergy between groove rhythm and exercise.
They set out to determine whether this combination could enhance the cognitive benefits – as well as the enjoyment – of physical activity, even when practised in moderation.
For the purposes of this study, the researchers invited 48 participants aged between 18 and 26 to do three minutes of “very light”-intensity aerobic exercise to music with groove rhythm.
At the end of the experiment, participants who reported their bodies “resonating with the rhythm” during this exercise session showed enhanced executive function in the prefrontal cortex.
“These findings, together with previous results, support the hypothesis that groove rhythm allows us to boost the cognitive benefits of exercise ... and suggest that subjective audiomotor entrainment is a key mechanism of this boosting effect,” conclude the researchers. – AFP Relaxnews
