- Research suggests balling up your fist can help boost memory
- It is thought the movements activate brain region key for memory
- American researchers suggest trying trick to remember shopping list
By
Fiona Macrae
19:11 EST, 24 April 2013
|
19:42 EST, 24 April 2013
Research suggests that balling up the right hand and squeezing it tightly makes it easier to memorise lists
Clenching your fist could be enough to help you get a grip on your memory.
Research suggests that balling up the right hand and squeezing it tightly actually makes it easier to memorise lists.
Later, when it is time to retrieve the information, it is the left hand that should be clenched.
It is thought the movements activate brain regions key to the storing and recall of memories.
The American researchers suggest those who are short of a pen and paper should try the trick when attempting to commit a shopping list or phone number to memory.
In the study, volunteers were given a rubber ball and asked to squeeze it as hard as possible before trying to memorise a list of 72 words.
They squeezed the ball again a couple of minutes later, ahead of recollecting as many of the words as possible.
One group used their right hand on both occasions, another their left. A third group clenched their right fist ahead of memorising and their left ahead of recall and a fourth did the reverse.
A fifth group held the ball but did not squeeze it.
Those who squeezed with their right hand, followed by their left, remembered the most words.
The next best were the volunteers who made a fist with their right hand both times, while those who didn’t squeeze at all did better than those who led with their left.
It is thought that the movement of clenching the right fist activates a brain region that is involved in storing memories, while squeezing the left hand triggers an area that is key to retrieving information.
Lead researcher Dr Ruth Propper said: ‘The findings suggest that simple body movements – by temporarily changing the way the brain functions – can improve memory.’
More research is needed to see if other types of memory can be boosted – and if left-handers also benefit from the trick.
It is thought that the movement of clenching the right fist activates a brain region that is involved in storing memories (file picture)
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Also works great for punching the muppet who conducted this research…
Boris Johnson
,
Mordor, United Kingdom,
25/4/2013 09:52
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More rubbish ‘research’. Just like the ‘click the spots age estimator in DM the other day. It told me my age was 41 when I’m actually 74. Slightly wrong!
onedeadeye
,
Brampton,
25/4/2013 08:37
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Left handed, just tried it for a phone number. And it worked. Cool
uninspired
,
manchester,
25/4/2013 08:07
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So boxers have the best memory of all of us?
And scientists get paid good money for this?
Abergele
,
Abergele,
25/4/2013 07:34
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I dont know if this works but using the positioning of your eyes can enable you to recall things, i learned this excecise from the dvd, Mind Body Medicine by Depac Chopra years ago and it works for me most of the time.
dingo
,
perth w.a,
25/4/2013 07:29
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The garbage they try to fill our heads with.
Ray
,
Sydney,
25/4/2013 05:04
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