The science behind MAP Training

 
 

Ruminations are repetitive thoughts about oneself. They are usually negative and often about the past. After six weeks of MAP Training, just once a week, the participants reported fewer of these thoughts — as well as fewer symptoms of depressive and perceived stress (Millon, Lehrer, and Shors, 2020).

 

MAP Training is a combination of “Mental And Physical” Training --- i.e. MAP-- done together to enhance brain health. This brain fitness program was inspired by the discovery of new neurons in the adult brain and the fact that they can be enhanced by both mental and physical exercise (Shors, 2017; Millon and Shors, 2-2019).

Over the past ten years, Dr. Shors and her research team have provided MAP Training to groups of people from many different walks of life. The results have been overwhelmingly positive, with reductions in trauma-related thoguhts, depression and anxiety, as well as increases in self-worth and quality of life, even learning.

Importantly, we always see a decrease in ruminative thoughts — which are repetitive and usually negative thoughts about ourselves and the past. This is a good thing because when we aren’t ruminating, we can be more focused in this precious moment.

Some of our studies can be found in the scientific publications below —

  • Demmin, D., Silverstein S.M., T. J. Shors (2022) Mental and Physical (MAP) Training with meditation and aerobic exercise during the COVID-19 pandemic reduces stress and improves well-being in teachers. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience. 23 August 2022, Sec. Brain Health and Clinical Neuroscience https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2022.847301
  • Millon, E.M., Lehrer, P. & Shors, T.J. (2021). Meditation and Aerobic Exercise Enhance Mental Health Outcomes and Pattern Separation Learning Without Changing Heart Rate Variability in Women with HIV. Appl Psychophysiol Biofeedback. 2022 Mar;47(1):27-42. doi: 10.1007/s10484-021-09530-2. PMID: 35040014; PMCID: PMC8763305.Millon
  • Lavadera P., Millon E.M. and Shors T.J.(2020). MAP Train My Brain: Meditation combined with aerobic exercise reduces stress and rumination while enhancing quality of life in medical students. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/acm.2019.0281
  • Million E.M. and Shors T.J. Shors, T. J. (2019). Taking neurogenesis out of the lab and into the world with MAP Train My Brain, Behavioral Brain Research, 376, 112154 [Link].

  • Shors, T. J., Chang, H. Y. M., Millon, E. M. (2018). MAP Training My Brain™: Meditation plus aerobic exercise lessens trauma more than either activity alone. Frontiers in Neuroscience, 12:211. doi: 10.3389/fnins.2018.00211
    Link to article.

  • Shors, T. J., Millon, E. M., Chang, H. Y. M., Olson, R. L., & Alderman, B. L. (2017). Do sex differences in rumination explain sex differences in depression?. Journal of Neuroscience Research, 95(1-2), 711-718. [Link] [PDF]

  • Shors, T. J., Olson, R. L., Bates, M. E., Selby, E. A., & Alderman, B. L. (2014). Mental and Physical (MAP) Training: a neurogenesis-inspired intervention that enhances health in humans. Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, 115: 3–9. doi:10.1016/j.nlm.2014.08.012
    Link to article. [PDF]

  • Alderman, B. L., Olson, R. L., Brush, C. J., & Shors, T. J. (2016). MAP training: combining meditation and aerobic exercise reduces depression and rumination while enhancing synchronized brain activity. Translational Psychiatry, 6(2), e726. doi: 10.1038/tp.2015.225.
    Link to article.

  • Curlik D., & Shors, T.J. (2013). Training your brain: Do mental and physical (MAP) training enhance cognition through the process of neurogenesis in the hippocampus? Neuropharmacology, 64, 506-514. doi: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2012.07.027.
    Link to article. [PDF]