Neurobics for Purposeful Recovery

Author – Lori Sherlock, Ed.D. lsherlock@hsc.wvu.edu

What are Neurobics?

• Mental exercises that challenge the brain in novel ways.
• Mental or physical activities that involve greater mental engagement or further engage the senses

Why are we Interested in Brain Health?

Cognitive decline & development of dementia or Alzheimer’s Disease

• 1 in 9 adults
• Increased risk with age
• CVD increases prevalence to 1 in 4
• Deemed public health concern by the CDC

Benefits of Neurobics

• Increased Neural activity → increased blood flow to brain → Brain cell growth
• Increased stimulation of patterned neural activity → improved cognitive function
• Improved dual task completion
• Enhanced memory, reasoning ability, cognitive function
• Reduced risk for depression
• Reduced risk of cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s Disease
• Improved mental flexibility
• Increase in BDNF production
• Improved ability to perform ADL’s

Physical Exercise is Equally Important in Brain Health

Creating Neurobics:

• Experience unexpected, novel things
• Use your senses
• Level of importance or engagement are factors
• Evoking emotion can increase the impact
• Increasing oxygen availability can improve outcome

Intensity & Complexity:

• Increased movement complexity = reduced movement intensity
• Movement complexity is subjective
  • Exercise experience, movement library, etc.
  • Practicing a task reduces its perceived complexity Neurobics as purposeful recovery:

• Important to perform, bur not physically strenuous = perfect for recovery
• Ways to incorporate into recovery:
  • Rest Interval during a HIIT (Immediate Recovery)
  • Rest between intervals or sets (Short term recovery)
  • Recovery or Transition sessions (Training Recovery)

“It could be argued that the recovery period is equally important as the exercise stimulus” -SA Romero et.al

Importance of Recovery

• Exercise Stress → Muscle & Tissue Damage → Need for Repair → Recovery → Adaptation
• Without recovery, we can experience lack of progress with training, injury, overtraining syndrome, or burn-out

Active vs Passive Recovery

Active

• Light to moderate activity
• Can include short bouts of anaerobic activity
• Increases blood flow
• Accelerates metabolic waste removal
• Stimulates healing and adaptation

Passive

• Massage
• Compression
• Hydrotherapy
• Sleep – PARAMOUNT during training and recovery
• Intended to increase blood flow

Neurobics as Purposeful Recovery

Rest Interval during HIIT (Immediate Recovery)

• Work: Ski x :30 @ 9/10
• Rest: Write word on persons back with non-dominant hand and have them guess the word while marching x :60 @ 4/10

Rest Interval between intervals or sets (Short Term Recovery)

• Interval Set: Tabata
• Rest: Follow the Metronome (Faster → Slower)

Recovery or Transition Sessions (Training Recovery)

• REHIIT Protocol with Navigation 3 min easy
  :30 sec Very Hard 3 min easy
  :30 sec Very Hard 3 min easy

Neurobics for Purposeful Recovery Workout

Warm Up x 5 min

• Include 6-7 formula
• Incorporate Build-up Drill to 9/10

5 Min AE @ 5-7/10 + Word Play

1 min @ 6

• Grounded L Jack + Ski + Toe Touch
• Repeat Words of Song Out Loud

1 min @ 5

• Grounded R Jack + Ski + Toe Touch
• Repeat Tongue Twister

2 min @ 7

• Jog with directional changes and foot position changes
• Learn sign language

1 min @ 5

• Heel Taps Front and Back
• Draw letters on hand forward and back/dominant and nondominant

10 Min REHIIT Protocol – Navigation
3 minutes easy – Eyes Closed, March from your Front door to your Primary Bathroom 30 seconds VERY HARD
3 minutes easy – Eyes Closed, March from your Back Door to a landmark in your Yard 30 seconds VERY HARD
3 minutes easy – Eyes Closed, March from the Hotel’s front entrance to the Pool.

5 Min AE: Dot Drills with Direction, Dot & Foot Changes

HARD (9/10): Low-Moderate (6/10): Moderate (7/10): Easy (5/10): Low-Moderate (6/10): Easy (5/10):

30 seconds – X-Mogul Jumps

1 min – 5-Dot: Slalom

1:30 min – 5-Dot: Hour Glass

1 min – 5-Dot: Figure 8 Drill

1 min – 5-Dot: Wide Triangle

1 min – 5-Dot: M Drill

5 Min AE @ 5-7/10 – Add On Memory Game

Continue to add on to the combo and the group has to remember.

• Ski x 4
• Jack Cross x 2
• Tuck & Shoot F/B x 3 + bounce center
• Clap F/B single, single, double x 2
• Tap Heels behind – Opposite x 2, same x 2
• Tap Knees in front – Opposite x 2, same x 2
• Staggered Run in a circle (right begins forward, left ends forward & reverse) x 8 Seated Level 3 scull x 8
• Karate Kick F/B/S/down x 8 (L/R)
• Tuck x 2
• Regular/Wide Twist x 2 each
• Rear Slide & pulse up x 4 c

10 Min low intensity interval set done as 1 min gentle build up 1 min mobility + ball play

• 1 min ↑ effort every 10 sec 5 → 6 → 7 → 8 (hold at 8/10 for reminder of minute)
• 1 min mobility: Clock reach with Right toes + ball
• 1 min ↑ effort every 10 sec 5 → 6 → 7 → 8 (hold at 8/10 for reminder of minute)
• 1 min mobility: Clock reach with Left toes + ball
• 1 min ↑ effort every 10 sec 5 → 6 → 7 → 8 (hold at 8/10 for reminder of minute)
• 1 min mobility:squat and reach across with ear pinch
• 1 min ↑ effort every 10 sec 5 → 6 → 7 → 8 (hold at 8/10 for reminder of minute)
• 1 min mobility: heel-toe rocks changing from neutral, internal, external + ball
• 1 min ↑ effort every 10 sec 5 → 6 → 7 → 8 (hold at 8/10 for reminder of minute)
• 1 min mobility: Figure 4 Squats + ball

4 min low intensity interval set done as Tabatta format: Gait Focus with ball, eye and head drills

• 20 sec RIGHT Single Leg Ankle Hops Forward and Back + ball play
• 10 sec Rest
• 20 sec 3-step Pause Forward and Back + ball play
• 10 sec Rest
• 20 sec RIGHT Jump from front foot to back foot with pause – emphasize weight shift + ball play
• 10 sec Rest
• 20 sec Right/Left lateral 3-step pause + ball play
• 10 sec Rest
• 20 sec LEFT Single Leg Ankle Hops Forward and Back + ball play
• 10 sec Rest
• 20 sec 3-step Pause Forward and Back + ball play
• 10 sec Rest
• 20 sec LEFT Jump from front foot to back foot with pause – emphasize weight shift + ball play
• 10 sec Rest
• 20 sec Right/Left lateral 3-step pause + ball play
• 10 sec Rest

Cool Down x 5 min