Why Your Brain Loves New Challenges: Fitness, Pain, and Cognitive Gains

Establishing a fitness routine that you enjoy and can maintain regularly is certainly a challenge. Once we find our groove, it’s tempting to stick with what's familiar—whether it’s a session on the elliptical, some bicep curls, or a few rounds of crunches—and simply go through the motions. Show up at the gym, plug in your headphones, and let muscle memory take the wheel. While this consistency is beneficial for maintaining physical health, it might not be stimulating enough for your brain and cognitive function. Preventive neurologist, Dr. Kellyann Niotis, and movement specialist, Beth Lewis, emphasize the importance of incorporating new activities into your fitness regime to truly enhance your brain's wellbeing.

The Brain's Love for New Challenges

"Please try something new because the brain really loves novelty. It loves being challenged and that's really when you're getting the most cognitive and probably motor benefit for your brain is when you're really trying something new," Dr. Niotis explains. This enthusiasm for new activities is more than just a preference; it's rooted in how our brains are wired to respond to and grow from new experiences and challenges.

When starting or intensifying a workout routine, it's common to experience initial pain and discomfort. Exercise and movement expert, Beth Lewis, acknowledges this as a natural hurdle but stresses the importance of perseverance:

"So there is definitely a hump that you have to get over, but you just kind of have to get over the hump. And it's interesting if you focus on, not the dread of starting, because all humans have the dread. I mean, it's my job and you know, 95% of the time I'm like, ‘Oh, I'm a -3/10 for wanting to do this.’ But, if you just focus on how good you feel after it changes the experience.”

The Cognitive Gains from Physical Exercise

Lewis points out that high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and other forms of exercise are not just about improving joint health or muscle tone—they are crucial for stimulating the brain. "HIIT can actually make joint pain and arthritis feel better because the muscles contract. That's what it needs," she notes, highlighting how physical challenges directly benefit cognitive functions.

Trying a new group exercise class is also a great way to combat loneliness and mix up your fitness routine at the same time. The group environment can really push you to keep going and try harder.

Novelty as a Catalyst for Cognitive Health

In her fitness community, Beth Lewis introduces new physical activities every six weeks to keep both the body and mind engaged. From skipping rope to hula hooping, these novel exercises are not just fun; they serve a critical role in enhancing brain function. "It's just six weeks of your life to try to figure it out. And Kellyann and I have actually done some pretty interesting cognitive tests on these people and how it has improved certain things for them, but also just increasing their fluid intelligence is probably the biggest win," she shares.

Dr. Niotis and Beth Lewis’s insights underscore the importance of novelty and challenge in our fitness routines, not only for maintaining physical health but for fostering profound cognitive benefits. By stepping out of our comfort zones and introducing new elements to our workouts, we can stimulate our brain's problem-solving capabilities and enhance our overall mental agility. This dual focus on physical and cognitive health through novel challenges is a powerful strategy for holistic well-being.

To learn more pushing both your body and your brain in your next workout, watch our conversation with Dr. Kellyann Niotis and Beth Lewis in the video above.

By Alicia J. Barber, PhD