NEW YORK, May 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Physical fitness seems to always be a hot topic but TONE Networks, a video and social network for women, believes mental fitness should be top of mind in May during Mental Health Awareness Month.
TONE Expert, Dr. Tracy Alloway, a psychologist, author and a working memory expert, offers these five tips to boost mental fitness:
- Take off your shoes and go for a run
Dr. Alloway's research is the first to show that running barefoot leads to better cognitive performance than running with shoes, regardless of running speed or heart rate. One of the reasons that barefoot running can improve mental fitness is because you have to engage your attention and working memory to avoid stepping on potentially painful objects.
- Eat like a carnivore
Red meat contains two working memory-friendly nutrients: carnitine and vitamin B-12. Carnitine helps your body burn fat, and it is also associated with speeding up signals between neurons. The human body naturally produces carnitine in the liver and kidneys, though there is evidence to suggest that the older you get, the more you benefit from consuming it.
- Climb a tree
Climbing a tree has dramatic working memory benefits. Proprioception, the awareness of body positioning and orientation, may place a greater demand on working memory because as environment and terrain changes, the individual recruits working memory to update information to adapt appropriately.
- Chew some peppermint gum
Chewing gum can improve both long-term and short-term memory. One explanation for this memory boost could be due the increased activation in the hippocampus, an area important for memory. It could also be due to increased heart rate, which is a potential cognitive enhancer.
- Sleep on it
Recent research shows that we are more likely to remember information if we learn it just before bedtime because the sleep process helps us consolidate memories.
New York City-based TONE Networks delivers real advice from real experts in real time, via short videos, helping busy women grow personally and professionally. Author of The Working Memory Advantage, Tracy Packiam Alloway, PhD, is TONE's "Brain Trainer" providing members tips on training the brain to function stronger, smarter and faster. Learn more at www.tonenetworks.com and www.tracyalloway.com
Media Contact:
Colleen Brannan
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SOURCE TONE Networks