Walking for brain fitness

Lynn Dorman, Ph.D. // Aging, human interest

2 Comments

July 12  

walking-good-for-brains

WALK!!

A  study found that walking isn't just great for weight loss or for just plain old exercise –

it's great for your memory too!

…researchers randomly assigned 120 healthy but sedentary men and women (average age mid-60s) to one of two exercise groups. One group walked around a track three times a week, building up to 40 minutes at a stretch; the other did a variety of less aerobic exercises, including yoga and resistance training with bands.

After a year, brain scans showed that among the walkers, the hippocampus had increased in volume by about 2 percent on average; in the others, it had declined by about 1.4 percent.

Your hippocampus is a part of the brain that is important for memory formation and normally it starts to atrophy around age 55 or 60. 

The fact that  it actually increased is pretty amazing..

It makes me want to go out and walk every day…

Join me?

 

Comments? thoughts?

  • I’m not that old yet, but have recently started walking and have found I’m inspired to write more after I have done my mile walk.

    • Thanks for the comment –  I’ll bet you are expanding your brain anyway no matter your age.

      I love walking but don’t do it on a daily basis anymore since my dog died.  My son says I need to get a dog for my health! He’s correct…but I am back to doing yoga regularly and it’s helped me get back to writing.

      Lynn

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    About the Author

    Native of NYC who moved a lot, got several degrees, and has been a lifelong writer and reader... I am interested in many things - and I write [and teach] about them - especially the human lifespan and healthy aging

    Lynn Dorman, Ph.D.

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