We try so hard to be healthy, but at some point, it may be difficult for us to focus at school or work. Struggling to get work done efficiently and checking off all the items on the to-do list can be frustrating, but the answer could be easy. It may even be fun and have lots of other benefits.
Improve Focus with More Activity
We love to go outside and take a walk or play a sport, but surprisingly, it can also improve results at school and work. According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, increasing physical activity and physical fitness may improve academic performance (1). The more intense the sport or activity, the more benefit we experience.
- Math and reading are the two areas of academics which show improvement in studies, which can be two of the most difficult areas to focus on or make progress.
- Basically, more time on the basketball court could mean better focus, even on the harder subjects.
- Most people do math at work, even if you aren't dealing with numbers all day. For example, working in retail or in restaurants, you do math when you give change to your customer.
- Improved reading skills can help all of us. Just about any job or school subject involves reading. Wouldn't it be great to retain more of what you read?
Maximize Your Exercise
The key to making sure you get the maximum benefits of exercise is to be sure you get enough.
- Treat yourself to a sleek new iFitness activity tracker as soon as you can, because the first step is to use a tracking device to discover how many steps you already get in a day.
- It may take 7,000 to 10,000 steps worth of activity to be sure your mind is able to release extra energy and focus more on the details.
- Once you have the baseline amount of activity, increase the goal by 5% weekly until you get to around 10,000 steps per day.
- Any amount more than 10,000 steps should be considered a bonus and not an expectation. Make sure it's still fun. Increase your goal with activities you love to do.
The Many Benefits of Maximum Activity
Getting enough exercise has multiple benefits that can improve many different areas of life.
- According to The American Psychological Association, exercise can be helpful to reduce or manage stress.(2)
- The more intense the activity, the healthier and better we feel. Healthy people who get plenty of physical activity will be able to focus and learn better than those who haven't worked out and may be tired and anxious.
- Increasing your fitness level will also increase confidence at work which can translate into positive relationships and better results.
When it comes to having trouble focusing, think physical fitness or sports first, before other interventions. A doctor or nutritionist appointment may still be needed, but it's best to try more physical activity first. A nightly family walk for 1-2 miles can help initially. Physical activity may be a challenge when we spend too much time on electronic devices like a tablet or phone. Encourage yourself to set it aside for a few minutes and invite your family or friends to play a game of basketball or baseball. It will be super fun and will help everyone focus in school or work the next day at the same time. When you make it a habit to wear your nice, new tracker it will be fun to cheer yourself on to reach new levels of fitness. Having better focus is just one of the many benefits you will discover along the way.
