For medical students, time is limited and using it wisely is paramount. Data compiled as part of a research poster written by a soon-to-be second-year medical student suggests that pairing studying and light exercise can yield benefits in terms of time savings and study efficiency.
Research presented at the 2026 AMA Poster Showcase indicates that medical students who walked while using Anki—a digital learning tool designed to help medical students effectively learn and retain vast amounts of complex medical knowledge—had a better attitude about studying. Students who walked and studied in tandem also completed a comparable number of Anki cards while studying for shorter amounts of time than students who studied while sitting.
What might these findings mean for your medical school study routine? Here’s a deeper dive into the data on using Anki while on the go.
Studying while stepping
As a first-year medical student training in Missouri, Mackenzie Madsen found that she was more engaged and positive about her study routine when she reviewed material on a walking pad or treadmill.
“You see me sitting on the couch doing Anki, I’m going to get really bored,” said, Madsen, an AMA member.
In finding that her attitude improved as she studied and walked in tandem, she wondered if the same would be true for other students. To examine whether studying while walking might have broader appeal and efficacy among her peers, Madsen surveyed 178 first-year medical students before and during a respiratory systems course, tracking whether they walked while using Anki and measuring study duration, emotional attitude, burnout and productivity.
The findings indicate that walking while using Anki significantly improved students’ emotional attitude and shortened study sessions without impacting the volume of material covered.
The findings could be particularly salient for medical students who are attempting to stay on track with their studies while also finding time for wellness activities, Madsen said.
Doing Anki and walking in tandem offers a chance “to optimize studying and reduce studying fatigue, which I noticed was a big issue, especially in those preclinical years," she added.
The research speaks to the benefits of “habit pairing,” Madsen said. That is the practice of combining a required task (like studying) with a positive habit (such as walking), which can make both halves of the habit pair easier, more enjoyable and more sustainable over time.
For medical students looking to hone their research skills, the AMA offers resources and programs that bring you from the basics all the way to the AMA Research Challenge where you can compete for a $10,000 prize, presented by KeyBank.
Practical application
Madsen advised that medical students can easily pair exercise with Anki studying by using campus gyms and simple technology.
“Most campuses have a gym in which a treadmill is available, and then you’re able to use your phone or your iPad or your laptop,” she said.
Madsen bought a walking pad and a pocket-sized, Bluetooth controller for her Anki flashcards. These tools gave her the chance to step and study in her home.
She said this approach has proven useful during late-night study sessions.
“Instead of just sitting there [studying] and falling asleep, I'm able to walk, get through the material faster, and be done with it,” she said.
While previous research has suggested light exercise may support cognition, Madsen’s research found no significant differences in exam scores between students who walked while using Anki and those who studied while sitting.
She noted, however, that Anki is a tool optimized for long-term memory maintenance. Because of that, students who walked while reviewing Anki cards may not experience a significant boost on “an exam encompassing two weeks of material but may show improved performance on measurements of knowledge over time” such as the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Step 1 exam.”
John Andrews, MD, is the AMA’s vice president for graduate medical education innovations.
“This is an interesting examination of the impact of pairing a study aid with exercise on students' perceptions of their study behavior,” Dr. Andrews said. “It will be important to understand whether this approach leads to deeper comprehension and contributes to real learning in addition to the measures of efficiency and well-being that are cited.”
Even without an extensive understanding of the long-term impact of pairing the activities, the AMA Poster Showcase research provides a practical idea for students looking to make marathon study sessions more sustainable.
"I would advise you to, when you are studying—be actively studying," Madsen said. Certainly, it is best to avoid studying with "a TV show in the background where you're not focused.” But even better, she suggested, is to “focus on habit pairing."
Medical students who join the American Medical Association enjoy exclusive member benefits and perks to help them personally and professionally on their road to residency. They also get to select from a variety of free gifts when they join, including powerful study aids for the USMLE or COMLEX-USA tests.
