Cogniflux

The science behind Brain-Body Training.

Research on physical exercise and cognitive training informs our approach, combining full-body movement with challenges designed to engage cognitive functions.

A participant seated on the gym floor between two Flux Pods reaches towards one of them, wearing glasses and bone-conduction headphones, while two people talk behind her.

Movement and mental effort, deliberately combined.

Physical exercise

Physical exercise can develop strength, endurance and balance. It can also support biological processes involved in learning and neuroplasticity—the brain’s capacity to adapt through experience.

Cognitive training

Structured, repeated challenges provide targeted practice for cognitive functions. Remembering information, resisting an automatic response and adapting to changing rules each exercise a different aspect of cognitive control.

Brain-Body Training

  • Greater cognitive function gains compared to cognitive training alone.
  • Improved endurance and physical performance under mental fatigue.

Selected research.

Studies and reviews informing our approach to cognitive training, physical exercise and their combination.

  • Adcock, M., Fankhauser, M., Post, J., Lutz, K., Zizlsperger, L., Luft, A. R., Guimarães, V., Schättin, A., and de Bruin, E. D. (2020). Effects of an In-home Multicomponent Exergame Training on Physical Functions, Cognition, and Brain Volume of Older Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Frontiers in Medicine, 6, 321. DOI
  • Anderson-Hanley, C., Arciero, P. J., Brickman, A. M., Nimon, J. P., Okuma, N., Westen, S. C., Merz, M. E., Pence, B. D., Woods, J. A., Kramer, A. F., and Zimmerman, E. A. (2012). Exergaming and Older Adult Cognition: A Cluster Randomized Clinical Trial. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 42(2), 109–119. DOI
  • Ando, S., Fujimoto, T., Sudo, M., Watanuki, S., Hiraoka, K., Takeda, K., Takagi, Y., Kitajima, D., Mochizuki, K., Matsuura, K., Katagiri, Y., Nasir, F. M., Lin, Y., Fujibayashi, M., Costello, J. T., McMorris, T., Ishikawa, Y., Funaki, Y., Furumoto, S., … Tashiro, M. (2024). The neuromodulatory role of dopamine in improved reaction time by acute cardiovascular exercise. The Journal of Physiology, 602(3), 461–484. DOI
  • Behrad, S., Dezfuli, S. A. T., Yazdani, R., Hayati, S., and Shanjani, S. M. (2024). The effect of physical exercise on circulating neurotrophic factors in healthy aged subjects: A meta-analysis and meta-regression. Experimental Gerontology, 196, 112579. DOI
  • Buuck, S., Voll, S., and Jansen, P. (2023). The effect of physical activity breaks, including motor-cognitive coordination exercises, on employees’ cognitive functions in the workplace. Work, 74(4), 1447–1460. DOI
  • Dallaway, N., Lucas, S. J. E., and Ring, C. (2021). Concurrent brain endurance training improves endurance exercise performance. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 24(4), 405–411. DOI
  • Desjardins-Crépeau, L., Berryman, N., Fraser, S. A., Vu, T. T. M., Kergoat, M.-J., Li, K. Z. H., Bosquet, L., and Bherer, L. (2016). Effects of combined physical and cognitive training on fitness and neuropsychological outcomes in healthy older adults. Clinical Interventions in Aging, 11, 1287–1299. DOI
  • Diamond, A. (2013). Executive Functions. Annual Review of Psychology, 64, 135–168. DOI
  • Díaz-García, J., García-Calvo, T., and Ring, C. (2025). Brain endurance training improves sedentary older adults’ cognitive and physical performance when fresh and fatigued. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 76, 102757. DOI
  • Díaz-García, J., López-Gajardo, M. Á., Parraca, J. A., Batalha, N., López-Rodríguez, R., and Ring, C. (2024). Brain Endurance Training Improves and Maintains Chest Press and Squat Jump Performance When Fatigued. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 38(9), 1568–1575. DOI
  • Dinoff, A., Herrmann, N., Swardfager, W., and Lanctôt, K. L. (2017). The effect of acute exercise on blood concentrations of brain-derived neurotrophic factor in healthy adults: a meta-analysis. European Journal of Neuroscience, 46(1), 1635–1646. DOI
  • Eggenberger, P., Schumacher, V., Angst, M., Theill, N., and de Bruin, E. D. (2015). Does multicomponent physical exercise with simultaneous cognitive training boost cognitive performance in older adults? A 6-month randomized controlled trial with a 1-year follow-up. Clinical Interventions in Aging, 10, 1335–1349. DOI
  • El-Sayes, J., Harasym, D., Turco, C. V., Locke, M. B., and Nelson, A. J. (2019). Exercise-Induced Neuroplasticity: A Mechanistic Model and Prospects for Promoting Plasticity. The Neuroscientist, 25(1), 65–85. DOI
  • Fabel, K., Wolf, S. A., Ehninger, D., Babu, H., Leal-Galicia, P., and Kempermann, G. (2009). Additive effects of physical exercise and environmental enrichment on adult hippocampal neurogenesis in mice. Frontiers in Neuroscience, 3, 50. DOI
  • Fissler, P., Küster, O., Schlee, W., and Kolassa, I.-T. (2013). Novelty interventions to enhance broad cognitive abilities and prevent dementia: synergistic approaches for the facilitation of positive plastic change. Progress in Brain Research, 207, 403–434. DOI
  • Gavelin, H. M., Dong, C., Minkov, R., Bahar-Fuchs, A., Ellis, K. A., Lautenschlager, N. T., Mellow, M. L., Wade, A. T., Smith, A. E., Finke, C., Krohn, S., and Lampit, A. (2021). Combined physical and cognitive training for older adults with and without cognitive impairment: A systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Ageing Research Reviews, 66, 101232. DOI
  • Grosprêtre, S., Marcel-Millet, P., Eon, P., and Wollesen, B. (2023). How Exergaming with Virtual Reality Enhances Specific Cognitive and Visuo-Motor Abilities: An Explorative Study. Cognitive Science, 47(4), e13278. DOI
  • Herold, F., Hamacher, D., Schega, L., and Müller, N. G. (2018). Thinking While Moving or Moving While Thinking – Concepts of Motor-Cognitive Training for Cognitive Performance Enhancement. Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, 10, 228. DOI
  • Ji, Z., Feng, T., and Wang, H. (2020). The Effects of 12-Week Physical Exercise Tapping High-level Cognitive Functions. Advances in Cognitive Psychology, 16(1), 59–66. DOI
  • Kleinloog, J. P. D., Nijssen, K. M. R., Mensink, R. P., and Joris, P. J. (2023). Effects of Physical Exercise Training on Cerebral Blood Flow Measurements: A Systematic Review of Human Intervention Studies. International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, 33(1), 47–59. DOI
  • Lee, L. Y., Healy, M. P., Fischer, N. L., Tong, K., Chen, A. S. H., Sahakian, B. J., and Kourtzi, Z. (2024). Cognitive flexibility training for impact in real-world settings. Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences, 59, 101413. DOI
  • Liu, S., Fan, H., Zhou, J., and Zhou, S. (2026). Effects of open-skill and closed-skill exercise on subdomains of executive function in healthy older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Sports Science, Medicine and Rehabilitation. Advance online publication. DOI
  • Ludyga, S., Held, S., Rappelt, L., Donath, L., and Klatt, S. (2023). A network meta-analysis comparing the effects of exercise and cognitive training on executive function in young and middle-aged adults. European Journal of Sport Science, 23(7), 1415–1425. DOI
  • Nguyen, L., Murphy, K., and Andrews, G. (2019). Immediate and long-term efficacy of executive functions cognitive training in older adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Psychological Bulletin, 145(7), 698–733. DOI
  • Ogoh, S., and Tarumi, T. (2019). Cerebral blood flow regulation and cognitive function: a role of arterial baroreflex function. The Journal of Physiological Sciences, 69(6), 813–823. DOI
  • Pellegrini-Laplagne, M., Dupuy, O., Sosner, P., and Bosquet, L. (2023). Effect of simultaneous exercise and cognitive training on executive functions, baroreflex sensitivity, and pre-frontal cortex oxygenation in healthy older adults: a pilot study. GeroScience, 45(1), 119–140. DOI
  • Rieker, J. A., Reales, J. M., Muiños, M., and Ballesteros, S. (2022). The Effects of Combined Cognitive-Physical Interventions on Cognitive Functioning in Healthy Older Adults: A Systematic Review and Multilevel Meta-Analysis. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 16, 838968. DOI
  • Simard, S., Matosin, N., and Mechawar, N. (2025). Adult Hippocampal Neurogenesis in the Human Brain: Updates, Challenges, and Perspectives. The Neuroscientist, 31(2), 141–158. DOI
  • Sio, U. N., and Lortie-Forgues, H. (2024). The impact of creativity training on creative performance: A meta-analytic review and critical evaluation of 5 decades of creativity training studies. Psychological Bulletin, 150(5), 554–585. DOI
  • Wang, N., Chen, Z., and Zhao, K. (2026). The effects of brain endurance training on physical endurance performance under mental fatigue and non-fatigued conditions: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Frontiers in Psychology, 17, 1858200. DOI
  • Wang, R.-Y., Huang, Y.-C., Zhou, J.-H., Cheng, S.-J., and Yang, Y.-R. (2021). Effects of Exergame-Based Dual-Task Training on Executive Function and Dual-Task Performance in Community-Dwelling Older People: A Randomized-Controlled Trial. Games for Health Journal, 10(5), 347–354. DOI
  • Ward, N., Paul, E., Watson, P., Cooke, G. E., Hillman, C. H., Cohen, N. J., Kramer, A. F., and Barbey, A. K. (2017). Enhanced Learning through Multimodal Training: Evidence from a Comprehensive Cognitive, Physical Fitness, and Neuroscience Intervention. Scientific Reports, 7, 5808. DOI
  • Yu, T.-C., Wu, P.-T., Wu, W.-L., Chang, Y.-K., Chiang, C.-H., and Chu, I.-H. (2025). Effects of Exergame Training on Executive Function and Heart Rate Variability in Middle-Aged and Older Adults: A Randomized Controlled Study. European Journal of Sport Science, 25(2), e12249. DOI
  • Zhang, W., Liu, H., and Zhang, T. (2023). Immediate and short-term effects of single-task and motor-cognitive dual-task on executive function. PLOS ONE, 18(8), e0290171. DOI
  • Zhu, X., Yin, S., Lang, M., He, R., and Li, J. (2016). The more the better? A meta-analysis on effects of combined cognitive and physical intervention on cognition in healthy older adults. Ageing Research Reviews, 31, 67–79. DOI