walking helps change your brain in ways that protect memory and thinking skills
Walking is one of the best ways to improve or maintain your overall health. Apart from helping you regulate your heart health, it also aids weight management and keeps your brain fit.
Unlike some other forms of exercise, walking is free and does not need any special equipment or training. It is low-impact, requires minimal equipment, can be done at any time of day, and can be performed at your own pace. So what happens when you walk regularly three days a week for 40 minutes? How does it impact your mental and neurological health?
Walking and your brain
Most people experience brain fog, stress, and tiredness at regular levels due to changing lifestyles and ages. And so, experts say an exercise like walking can change your brain in ways that protect memory and thinking skills.
According to studies, aerobic exercise—the kind that gets your heart and your sweat glands pumping—boosts the size of the hippocampus—the area of your brain involved in verbal memory and learning. Resistance training, balance, and muscle-toning exercises do not yield the same results.
To get those benefits for your brain, try to walk for at least 40 minutes thrice a week as briskly as you can. ‘Brisk’ would mean you can still talk but not sing, and you may be puffing slightly.
Results of walking for your brain
Walking can help memory and thinking through both direct and indirect means. Experts say the benefits of brisk walking come directly from its ability to reduce insulin resistance, reduce inflammation, and stimulate the release of growth factors—chemicals in the brain that affect the health of brain cells, the growth of new blood vessels in the brain, and even the abundance and survival of new brain cells.
It also improves your mood and sleep patterns, thereby reducing stress and anxiety—mental health issues that affect the working of your brain big time. Doctors say issues in these areas frequently contribute to cognitive impairment.
Since your brain controls thinking and memory, walking regularly strengthens your concentration and ability to control your feelings as well.
How does walking enhance your brain health?
According to experts, walking boosts your mood because it increases blood flow and blood circulation to the brain apart from your body. It has a positive influence on your hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal, or HPA, axis, which is your central nervous system. This is good because the HPA axis is responsible for your stress response.
When you exercise by walking, you calm your nerves, which can make you feel less stressed.
How do you create a good walking routine?
One of the best ways to begin a new walking routine for your brain health is to mentally be prepared to build up endurance. Always remember that it is about the quality of the walk and the benefits you get from doing it consistently. Here are a few helpful tips to get you started:
- Start with a simple goal, and when this becomes a routine, set a new goal gradually increasing your time.
- If you don't like walking by yourself, request neighbour or a friend to join you to help you get energized.
- Always wear comfortable shoes and clothes.
- If you walk outdoors, plan a variety of different routes to make it more enjoyable.
Get Latest News Live on Times Now along with Breaking News and Top Headlines from Health and around the world.
