“If it doesn’t challenge you, it doesn’t change you.”

Fred DeVito (1953– )

Where across the course of your day today, could you consider where it might be that effort is not depleting you, but upgrading you?

I read a study on the long- and short-term benefits of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) while on holiday, and it dawned on me that I had avoided HIIT because of an injury I have fully recovered from and that no longer prevents me from having a HIIT session once a week.

The study reviewed scientific evidence suggesting that physical exercise can boost brain plasticity (the brain’s ability to adapt, form new connections and support memory and learning), and explores how lactate and BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor) may be central to this effect.

Exercise, especially high-intensity activity that elevates lactate, appears to activate biological processes that increase BDNF production. This is one of the promising mechanisms by which regular physical activity improves brain plasticity, memory and resilience against ageing or neurological disease.

Fo…