Multiple studies have shown a clear connection between regular physical exercise and better cognitive performance. One published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA indicated that just a few minutes of daily light-intensity physical exertion may be enough to augment a person’s memory performance.

Researchers at the University of Tsukuba in Japan assessed the memory abilities of 36 young adults before and after 10 minutes of light recumbent cycling. Afterward, the volunteers demonstrated better performance on a cognitive task that involved discriminating memorized images.

MRI scans also showed increases in neural connections in one of the brain’s memory centers following mild exercise. In addition, the more extensive the neural connections observed on the scans (which indicate brain cells are communicating), the better the memory performance following exercise.