Walk Your Body and Brain To Health
September 14th 2010 -
Walking is a simple activity that comes very naturally for us. As babies, learning how to walk seemed like the ultimate goal but at the same time, it signifies the start of a new life stage that is toddlerhood. According to a recent study, walking is not only a form of physical exercise but is also beneficial for our brain function.
It seems there is actually a logical explanation why people who are in the middle of a stressful situation tend to go for a walk. I have always thought it was just used as a diversion or taking some time to think alone or even a way to get away from life's stresses. On the other hand, those who walk to work just do it out of necessity.
With age and a sedentary lifestyle, people tend to walk less. Even inside their own homes, people just sit around, have dinner on the couch or worse – in bed. It may serve as motivation for most of us who take walking for granted, to know that the said research study (led by Dr. Arthur Kramer at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign) showed that walking boosts the connectivity within the brain circuits.
There is one other important thing to remember before you put on your walking shoes, though. The benefits of walking were only achieved after 12 months, so you have to be in it for the long haul before you expect to get that younger brain. In the meantime, you should first be content with getting a more energized body from it. It's actually a win-win situation if you think about it.