{"id":31471,"date":"2022-02-04T10:33:16","date_gmt":"2022-02-04T18:33:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/medfitnetwork.org\/public\/?p=31471"},"modified":"2022-01-31T12:35:27","modified_gmt":"2022-01-31T20:35:27","slug":"superfitness-the-intensity-complexity-spectrum","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/medfitnetwork.org\/public\/all-mfn\/superfitness-the-intensity-complexity-spectrum\/","title":{"rendered":"Superfitness: The Intensity & Complexity Spectrum"},"content":{"rendered":"

This is part 2 of a two-part article. <\/span><\/i>Part 1<\/a> addresses the myth of superfoods<\/span><\/i> and part 2 presents ideas for superfitness: how to enhance the brain health benefits of exercise by manipulating intensity and complexity.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Time for a practical example of how to supercharge exercise to maximize the brain health benefits. In general, we want just enough <\/span>physical intensity <\/b>to provide a physical challenge and just enough <\/span>cognitive complexity <\/b>to provide a coordination or motor challenge.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Here are 4 possible combinations of intensity and complexity. Any of these can be appropriate for a certain type of person.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\nPhysical Intensity Cognitive Complexity<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Low-Low\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

Low-High\u00a0<\/b><\/td>\n

Low Low\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Low High<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

High-Low\u00a0<\/b><\/td>\nHigh Low<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
High-High\u00a0<\/b><\/td>\nHigh High<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

To illustrate this concept, I will use a Squat with a Ball. The video below will show a progression through higher levels of cognitive and coordination challenge. It does not show progressive physical intensity (apart from the small increase in physical intensity from the progressive action placed on the ball.) Progressing physical intensity is easy to figure out as it is what the fitness industry already does ad nauseum, and an example is offered verbally in the video by suggesting that the entire sequence of exercises below could be done using a squat jump.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  • Squat with Ball Pass (from one hand to the other)\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Squat with Ball Toss (higher toss, higher challenge)\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Squat with Ball Same Arm Toss\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Squat with Ball & Ball \u201cOrbit\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Squat with Ball \u201cOrbit\u201d alternating clockwise and counterclockwise directions\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n