What is Genius Gyms?
Neuroscience and Exercise
Genius Gyms is a ground-breaking new way to improve brain & body health that uses well-validated neurocognitive games to create a data-driven, engaging exercise and cognitive training experience.
A new way to Exercise
No more boring machines, endless repetitive exercises, or mindless cardio workouts. Genius Gym’s workouts are engaging, challenging, and most of all FUN. You will forget you are working out!
Brain Health
Improves overall physical fitness with a specific emphasis on increasing brain functioning for performing the following cognitive skills: memory, attention, language, processing speed, executive functioning and motor skill coordination. Our program aims to help reduce/delay the negative effects of aging on the brain.
Backed by Science
The Genius Gyms program is developed by Cognitive Psychologist, Dr. Sarah McEwen, who was trained at UCLA in the fields of neuroimaging, cognitive neuroscience and exercise-induced neuroplasticity. Dr. McEwen is also an NSCA-Certified Personal Trainer and graduated from the UCLA Fitness Leadership program. Dr. McEwen’s academic research has been published in prestigious peer-reviewed journals and her exercise and cognitive training research projects have been funded by the National Institute of Health (including NIMH and NIA branches), Department of Defense and several other private foundations. The Genius Gyms training program has been featured on the Tennis Channel and Red Bull TV.
Videos & Media
Fit To Hit Episode 5 – Tennis Channel
Daily Exercise and Improving your Memory
Dr. McEwen in the news in Santa Monica
Genius Gyms Featured in EPA Podcast
Leadership Team
Robert McEwen
- CEO & Co-Founder
- A seasoned expert, with a proven track record of identifying/creating market opportunities by taking advantage of existing and emerging technologies.
- With 10+ years of Channel Growth/ International Product Management experience with companies such as: CBS Corporation, Live Nation, Ticketmaster, Warner Bros, eBay, PayPal etc.
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Dr. Sarah McEwen
- Chief Science Officer & Co-Founder
- Experienced PhD Cognitive Psychologist with 15 years clinical research experience and a demonstrated track-record of grants and publications while at top tier academic universities, including UCLA and UCSD.
- Skilled in MRI, Cognitive Neuroscience and Clinical Research with mental health populations. Associate Professor at the John Wayne Cancer Institute.
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Research
Research has shown that having individuals undergo both a physical exercise and a cognitive training program increase mental abilities significantly more than those doing physical exercise or cognitive training alone (Fabre et al., 1999; Barnes et al., 2013). Thus proving that the combined effects of cognitive and physical fitness training are additive, and it’s better for your brain to do both, not just one. Genius Gyms takes this research one step further to prove that simultaneously doing cognitive training while exercising gives your brain and body the maximum challenge needed to improve your brain’s performance-while also saving you the time of doing these activities seperately.
Dr. McEwen and her colleagues at UCLA Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences examined the effects of a simultaneous exercise and compensatory memory training program in older adults with memory impairments. In this randomized controlled trial they found that after only 4 weeks (2 sessions week) of simultaneous exercise and cognitive training memory performance was significantly increased in the simultaneous exercise and memory training group but not in a matched control group how did the exercise and then memory training separately.
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Neuroprotection
Physical exercise has been shown to increase the rate of growth of new neurons in the brain. Mental exercise helps the survival of those new neurons in the brain. Both physical and mental exercises are the leading treatments of cognitive declince associated with aging. -
Neurochemicals
Physical exercise changes the brain chemistry of your brain to improve learning and memory abilities, while mental exercises challenge those cognitive systems to increase efficiency. -
Aging
Genius Gyms is both a fun and scientifically-based new way to exercise that allows you to perform both mental and physical exercises simultaneously to increase neuroplasticity in your brain and lead to maximal brain and body performance. Both are necessary to combat neurodegeneration associated with aging. And we have combined them to save you time and optimize the benefits for you.
Case Study – Peter
After 11 sessions (4 months of 1 session per week) Peter had improvements on standardized scores of:
Emotional Positive Affect
Peter saw dramatic increases in Alertness, Attention and self accomplishment. This benefits the argument where exercise can aid mental well being and in some cases provide an alternative to medication.
Cognitive Performance
Overall Peter saw consistent gains across the board especially across Verbal memory, reaction time and speed. Greater gains have been experienced when the user participates in 3 sessions per week. Peter participated just once a week, below the recommended exposure.
Emotional Negative Affect
Peter saw a drastic reduction in nervousness, guilt and guilt. Our data across the board illustrates how exercise has many benefits to emotional benefit by exercising the body and brain (amygdala).
Attention
Peter saw a remarkable gain in simple attention with an above average gain. The prefrontal cortex known as the inferior frontal junction (IFJ) controls visual processing areas that are fine tuned for object-based attention, and spatial attention.
Heart Rate Zone
The above illustrates that Peter’s HR is in the ideal zone for neurotrophic gain relating to the growth of neurons in the brain.
Motor Speed
All of the body’s voluntary movements are controlled by the brain. One of the brain areas most involved in controlling these voluntary movements is the motor cortex. Peter saw impressive gains helping him with everyday tasks.
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