This one goes out to all my high-performing friends!
We all know that an exercise routine can improve cardiovascular health, increase bone density, maintain body weight, improve insulin response and improve balance and strength…but, did you know that movement can also lead to improved cognitive functioning? Yep, regular activity can reduce the risk of depression & anxiety, improve sleep and overall quality of life and can impact cognitive performance.
A recent study showed that cortical oxygenation was most improved after moderate exercise while processing speed was lower after high-intensity exercise, possibly due to fatigue. Researchers have also found that single sessions of mind-body therapies such as yoga have led to memory and processing speed improvement.
While I definitely recommend consistently incorporating a variety of movement modalities, there may be some benefit to the timing of type of exercise as it relates to cognitive demand and performance.
So if you have a big negotiation, presentation or meeting, maybe go for a moderate intensity workout beforehand (strength training, perhaps?) and save the HIIT training for another day or after the big *thing*.
Read more in THIS STUDY.