Arithmetic + exercise = better rehab?

“Dual-task” training combines a mental and physical challenge. 💪🏻 🧠 The usual idea is to improve coordination in patients recovering from injuries, stroke, etc, but a new study by Cruz-Montecinos et al. is about DTT for … elbow fracture rehab? Huh. 🤔

It was just a teensy trial (n=18), with positive results: DTT worked somewhat better than conventional resistance training. They both seemed to help, but DTT delivered more strength and function and killed more pain. More specifically, it caused a reduction in kinesiophobia: fear of movement. It’s not surprising that exercise could do that. But it is surprising that exercising while thinking harder would have that effect.

It was not exactly a big difference, mind you, just barely statistically significant, and maybe not clinically significant either. I suspect this is one of those studies that’s just too underpowered to actually answer the question. Still, it’s intriguing. If DTT actually works a bit better, it’s worth having a think about why that would be. Speculation invited!

The mental challenge? Doing math while working out. Which sounds hard! When I’m weighlifting, I often lose count of my reps! But maybe that’s just me. 😜