Forbes: Walking is potent mood medicine that enhances thinking, sharpens memory and safeguards brain health. Here are six reasons why you should make it a regular part of your day if you’re able.
1. Walking boosts your mood even when you’re not expecting it. In a recent study, researchers conducted three experiments on hundreds of college students to find out if they’d experience a positive mood boost while walking, without knowing that walking could be the reason. The researchers disguised each experiment as an alleged test of something else, all the while tracking mood changes linked to the simple act of taking a stroll. They found that just 12 minutes of walking resulted in an increase in joviality, vigor, attentiveness and self-confidence versus the same time spent sitting.
2. Walking enhances creativity, especially when you’re seeking a solution. A Stanford study found that walking increased creative inspiration by an average of 60% versus sitting. The effect was evident while and shortly after walking anywhere between five and 16 minutes. The enhancement was specific to a flavor of creativity called “divergent thinking,” defined as a thought process used to generate creative ideas by exploring many possible solutions.
3. Walking sparks connections between brain cells. Never underestimate the power of walking when it comes to sparking communication between neurons and improving brain health. Such were the results of a study on older adults that included walking along with other forms of exercise, finding that: One year of walking increased functional connectivity between aspects of the frontal, posterior, and temporal cortices within the Default Mode Network and a Frontal Executive Network, two brain networks central to brain dysfunction in aging.
4. Walking improves working memory. If you want to sharpen your recall, lace up and hit the sidewalk. A German study found that performance on challenging working memory tasks improved for participants allowed to walk at their own steady pace, as opposed to a slower pace set by the researchers. The results were more pronounced for the youngest of the study participants, but everyone’s working memory improved enough to give walking yet another smiley face.
5. Walking yields the right rhythm for thinking. One of the more intriguing areas of walking research delves into effects of its steady rhythm on how we think. Studies have examined everything from the brain-spinal-cord connection with respect to this rhythm to the interplay of neurological function, biomechanics and the forces of gravity. The bottom line here is still equal parts science and intuition, but all signs point to walking inducing the right rhythm for getting thinking done.
6. Walking is a powerful way to mainline nature. …Regularly spending time outside is a brain elixir like few others. And when you pair walking with your nature boost it’s a win-win, not to mention it’s a pleasant way to break up the tyranny of sitting. If you don’t have scenic horizons waiting outside your door, no worries–any outside time featuring a steady pace and a little green will work.
Our Comment:
Carve out time each day to get out and walk for at least 30 minutes. It will make a huge difference.
Prophetic Link:
“There is no exercise that can take the place of walking. By it the circulation of the blood is greatly improved…. Walking, in all cases where it is possible, is the best remedy for diseased bodies, because in this exercise all of the organs of the body are brought into use” Healthful Living, page 129.
Nature Knows best!
Source References
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Six Reasons Why Walking Is The Daily Brain Medicine We Really Need
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Walking facilitates positive affect (even when expecting the opposite)
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Stanford study finds walking improves creativity
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Plasticity of brain networks in a randomized intervention trial of exercise training in older adults.
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Cognitive performance is improved while walking: Differences in cognitive–sensorimotor couplings between children and young adults
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Brain activity during walking: A systematic review.
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The walking brain
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