The health advantages of high-intensity exercise are widely known by now.
There is no need for us to go through everything one more time.
Still, there are certain benefits that people in general are not aware of.
Did you know that high-intensity exercise can boost your memory?
Two years ago, scientists from McMaster University found out that six weeks of intense exercise -- short bouts of interval training over the course of 20 minutes -- showed significant improvements in what is known as high-interference memory, which, for example, allows us to distinguish our own car from another of the same make and model.
These findings are important because the memory performance of the study participants, who were all healthy young adults, increased over a relatively short period of time.
They also found that participants who experienced greater fitness gains in addition experienced greater increases in brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a protein that supports the growth, function, and survival of brain cells.