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