B.A.S.S. – Balance. agility. strength. stretching

BRAIN B.A.S.S for Week 10 - Think While You Move

By josie wild

Most everyday movement requires more than muscles alone.

Walking across a busy car park while looking for your car, talking while climbing stairs, or changing direction when something gets in your way all require your brain and body to manage more than one job at once.

A quick check

Can you stand on one leg comfortably? Now what happens if you try to juggle a ball at the same time?

If the movement suddenly becomes harder, you’ve discovered dual tasking.

Why this matters

Exercise is good for both physical and brain health. Cognitive training challenges specific thinking skills such as attention, memory and processing speed.

When we combine the two, the brain has to manage movement and a thinking task simultaneously.

Josie explains that research into combined physical and cognitive training suggests benefits for walking speed and balance, which can contribute to reducing falls risk. Cognitive benefits may also include improvements in processing speed, verbal fluency and memory.

The important part is that the thinking task actually requires some effort. Reciting something automatically is unlikely to provide the same challenge as having to stop and think.

What to do this week

Anna-Louise will take you through all four combinations in this week’s B.A.S.S. video.

You can also add a thinking challenge to a familiar walk. Try naming suburbs beginning with a particular letter, spelling words backwards or counting backwards in threes.

Choose something that makes you think, without making the movement unsafe. That extra mental work is the point.

This week’s reminder:

Think while you move.

Watch this week’s video below with Anna-Louise to put Josie’s Brain B.A.S.S. challenge into practice.

Keep the Momentum going with Holiday Classes

Even one class per week keeps your legs strong, balance steadier and allows you to walk taller. Keeps your progress ticking along by booking a holiday class now.

Spaces are limited, so book now to secure your spot. You can attend in person or online.