Just 10 Minutes Of Movement Can Increase Focus & Brain Functioning

Even a single bout of exercise can improve attention and executive performance1 on a Stroop task. In this task known to all students of psychology, you are asked to name the color that the text is printed in for a series of words. The trick is that all the words name different colors (e.g., red, green, yellow). When the word color (red) matches the color of the text (i.e., it's printed in red text), it's easy and we name the color of the text very quickly. But if the word color (yellow) is printed in green text, we take much longer to say green.

Ask anyone who is a regular exerciser and they are likely to report how they not only notice an improved overall mood and higher levels of energy post-workout but feel more focused as well. I know that after a workout session (which I now do exclusively in the mornings), I maximize my focus for writing or for tackling the most challenging items on my to-do list. I always feel better prepared to dig into whatever project is "on deck" after I've gotten my morning workout in.

On a practical note, because even one exercise session (especially one lasting at least 30 minutes designed to get your heart rate up) has been shown to improve attention/executive function—and anyone even in street clothes can get their heart rate up with a good power walk—physical activity is one of the fastest, easiest, and overall most convenient ways to buffer your own anxiety and boost your focus and attention.

One of the most mind-blowing observations I have made hap­pened almost as a second thought. I was giving a 30-minute live but virtual talk (via Zoom) to a bunch of incoming freshmen at NYU and decided I wanted to make the talk memorable. I asked them all to exercise with me for the last 10 minutes of class so they could truly "feel" the effects of exercise on their mood and cognitive function.

At the last minute, I thought it would be interesting to measure their anxiety levels by having them do a very quick but standardized anxiety test before and after the workout and offer to send them their results after the lecture. I found high levels of anxiety in the group before the exercise but after the exercise a whopping 15-point drop in the anxiety scores, which brought them to normal levels. For me, that shows the power of adding just 10 minutes of movement to your life.