--- title: Memory: Climbing a Tree Can Do Wonders for Your Memory description: So says a new study from the University of North Florida, which found that certain activities dramatically improve cognitive function. canonical: https://time.com/3980498/tree-climbing-memory/ author: Eric Dodds article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-07-31T19:39:02.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:58:21.081Z article:section: Health og:title: If You Want to Improve Your Memory, Try Climbing a Tree og:description: Or if you want to be really cool, give parkour a whirl. og:url: https://time.com/3980498/tree-climbing-memory/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltad0086d480003f33/69885d62524fc06183df3d4f/climbing-tree.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: Boy climbing tree og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: If You Want to Improve Your Memory, Try Climbing a Tree twitter:description: Or if you want to be really cool, give parkour a whirl. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltad0086d480003f33/69885d62524fc06183df3d4f/climbing-tree.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # If You Want to Improve Your Memory, Try Climbing a Tree ## Video: Do Brain Exercises Really Keep You Mentally Fit? [Watch (HLS stream): Do Brain Exercises Really Keep You Mentally Fit?](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/t67dFcgw.m3u8) (2:03)  _Published 2015-05-15. Do Brain Exercises Really Keep You Mentally Fit?_ by [Eric Dodds](https://time.com/author/eric-dodds/) ## Eric Dodds Jul 31, 2015 7:39 PM UTC  Boy climbing tree Boy climbing treeGetty Images by [Eric Dodds](https://time.com/author/eric-dodds/) ## Eric Dodds Jul 31, 2015 7:39 PM UTC Turns out, the secret to remembering where you left your car keys may not lie with the tried-and-true method of retracing your steps or inside a prescription pill bottle. According to researchers from the [University of North Florida](http://www.unf.edu/publicrelations/media%5Frelations/press/2015/UNF%5FResearchers%5FReveal%5FClimbing%5Fa%5FTree%5FCan%5FImprove%5FCognitive%5FSkills.aspx), climbing a tree or balancing on a beam can dramatically improve cognitive skills, including memory. Those two exercises are examples of proprioceptively dynamic activities. According to the _The American Heritage Stedman’s Medical Dictionary_, proprioception is “the unconscious perception of movement and spatial orientation arising from stimuli within the body itself.” The dynamic part is added when you couple that effort with another element like route-planning or locomotion. According to a press release from UNF, the results demonstrated remarkable cognitive gains: “After two hours, participants were tested again, and researchers found that their working memory capacity had increased by 50 percent, a dramatic improvement.” For those who don’t have easy access to a forest or balance beam, now might be the perfect time to [take up parkour](http://content.time.com/time/video/player/0,32068,1616709085%5F1816418,00.html). 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