Updated: 10/11/2025 por Jennifer Delgado | Published: 05/11/2025
When was the last time you went an entire day without looking at your phone? Or spent hours reading a book? Or enjoyed something so much that you lost track of time?
Our attention span is decreasing at an alarming rate. And that’s not good news because it’s “The cognitive muscle that allows us to follow a story, learn, create, or persevere with a task until completion,” as Daniel Goleman explained.
However, in an era overflowing with stimuli competing for our attention, it’s plummeting. In 2004, the average attention span for a task on any screen was two and a half minutes. By 2012, it had dropped to 75 seconds, and in the last five or six years, it has fallen to a mere 47 seconds, according to APA.
Without attention, our memory, thinking, learning, comprehension, and relationships suffer. When we struggle to concentrate, everything becomes an uphill battle. It’s easier to make hasty decisions, commit errors, struggle with any task, and let irritability and frustration take hold. That’s why training our attention isn’t a luxury, but a direct investment in our ability to live and think clearly.
Improving Concentration Through Movement
Amidst so many daily tasks, obligations, and worries, our brain doesn’t get much rest. This constant cognitive overload can generate what’s known as “brain fog,” a state that affects our ability to concentrate and scatters our thoughts.
However, there’s an unexpected ally for attention that’s also beneficial for our health: physical exercise. Going for a run, practicing yoga, or lifting weights at the gym is an active break for the mind that allows it to temporarily disconnect from problems and responsibilities.
When we engage in an activity that requires physical attention, we shift our focus from our worries to the present moment. This shift in focus reduces cognitive overload and provides temporary psychological relief that helps us regain clarity and a sense of control, as explained by Create PT, specialists in online personal training courses who experience this firsthand every day, both personally and in their clients.
In a way, the combination of physical effort and rhythmic movement acts as a “psychological reset.” Our mind stops overthinking and organizes ideas more effectively. That’s why it’s common to experience a greater sense of clarity, calm, and concentration after an exercise session. It’s as if we’ve freed up mental space to face challenges with greater presence and attention.
How does Physical Exercise Change the Brain?
When we exercise, it’s not just our muscles that work. Our brain does too, and surprisingly intensely. With movement, the heart beats faster, the lungs expand, and blood flow increases. This process improves cerebral perfusion; that is, the amount of blood, oxygen, and nutrients that reaches the nervous tissue.
Under normal conditions, the brain contains small areas with limited oxygenation – called hypoxic foci – that temporarily reduce the efficiency of mental processing. However, a study conducted at Capital Medical University in Beijing demonstrated that physical exercise significantly increases brain oxygenation and reduces these areas of transient hypoxia, improving the brain’s overall metabolic and cognitive function.
In practice, this extra supply of oxygen and glucose optimizes the performance of neurons, especially in areas responsible for attention, memory, and decision-making, such as the prefrontal cortex and the hippocampus. In fact, after a moderate-to-vigorous physical activity session, there is a temporary improvement in concentration and information processing speed. It’s as if exercise presses a “reset button” that clears the mind and makes it more efficient.
But the benefits are not solely due to the increased oxygen supply. Physical activity also triggers a veritable cascade of neurochemical processes. Neuroscientists have proven that exercise produces metabolites such as lactate and ketone bodies, which cross the blood-brain barrier and stimulate the release of neurotrophic substances and neurotransmitters essential for neurons. Among these is BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor), which acts as a “natural fertilizer” for nerve cells, promoting their growth and repair.
Dopamine, Serotonin, and Norepinephrine: The Attention Cocktail
Concentration isn’t just a matter of willpower; it depends on a delicate chemical balance. When we exercise, the brain releases neurotransmitters that regulate motivation, mood, and attention.
Dopamine, Essential for Staying Focused until the End
Dopamine, in particular, plays a key role. This neurotransmitter is vital for maintaining motivation and goal orientation. In other words, it helps us stay focused and motivated on a task until we achieve our objective. It also controls the flow of information from other areas of the brain to the frontal lobes, which means it allows us to pay attention and process our environment.
In fact, dopamine deficiency has been linked to attention deficit disorder. The good news is that physical exercise stimulates the release of dopamine, which improves concentration, as well as creativity, idea generation, and problem-solving.
Norepinephrine, Key to Avoiding Distractions
Physical activity also increases levels of norepinephrine, a basic neurotransmitter for activating the central nervous system. Its main function is to prepare the brain and body to respond to environmental stimuli, increasing alertness and reaction time. In the cognitive realm, it acts as a regulator of attentional focus. That is, it helps us select which information to prioritize and which stimuli are irrelevant.
When norepinephrine levels are adequate, the brain maintains an optimal state of alertness, avoiding both distraction and overexcitation. It has been shown that physical exercise facilitates the production of norepinephrine, improving communication between the prefrontal cortex and the parietal regions, which generates a kind of productive attention that is ideal for tackling the most complex cognitive tasks.
Serotonin, the Secret to Relaxed Attention
Furthermore, physical activity also stimulates the production of serotonin, which not only makes us feel good but also plays a key role in the control of attention and cognitive flexibility. In practice, while dopamine and norepinephrine facilitate activation, serotonin acts as a regulatory mechanism, preventing the brain from becoming overstimulated.
When serotonin levels are low, attention is more easily fragmented, rumination increases, and we find it harder to concentrate. Conversely, adequate levels promote a calmer brain with less tendency to be distracted. Serotonin allows us to better resist distractions and maintain focus without mental exhaustion. In other words, while norepinephrine sparks the light, serotonin keeps the beam of light steady.
Physical Activity to Rewire the Brain
If meditation and mindfulness make you impatient or simply aren’t for you, physical exercise is another effective tool for improving concentration. Moving “switches on” and “connects” the brain systems that help us pay attention and stay focused.
In a world saturated with stimuli, physical exercise can act as a natural filter to clear mental noise and restore our ability to focus on what’s essential. That’s why, after a workout, you’re likely to not only feel better but also have a clearer mind, ready to face everyday challenges.
References:
Kobayashi, K. (2025) Chronic voluntary exercise induces plasticity of noradrenaline-activated dopamine D1-like receptor signaling. Mol Brain; 18: 51.
Wang, Z. & Jia, J. (2024) Enhancing the understanding between exercise and brain health: A new tool of oxygen imaging. Journal of Sport and Health Science; 13(6): 751-752.
Tyler, J. et. Al. (2023) High intensity interval training exercise increases dopamine D2 levels and modulates brain dopamine signaling. Front Public Health; 11: 1257629.
Ferrer-Uris, B. t. Al. (2022) Can exercise shape your brain? A review of aerobic exercise effects on cognitive function and neuro-physiological underpinning mechanisms. AIMS Neurosci; 9(2):150-174.
McMorris T. (2016) Developing the catecholamines hypothesis for the acute exercise-cognition interaction in humans: Lessons from animal studies. Physiol Behav;165:291-299.
Cools, R. et. Al. (2011) Serotonin and Dopamine: Unifying Affective, Activational, and Decision Functions. Neuropsychopharmacol; 36: 98–113.
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