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Walking is an important staple of life as without it people would get little to nowhere. It is also an exercise that is beneficial to one’s physical health. However, new research indicates that a short walk also benefits one’s mental health. This doesn’t imply that you must go for a daily five-mile run or spend hours in the gym. In fact, a recent study in the journal Neurology found that even little quantities of exercise, such as walking for 15 minutes each day, had an impact on nearly all parts of the brain.
Neurology used data from the population-based Rhineland Study to compile their findings, focusing on information on the physical activity of more than 2000 volunteers between the ages of 30 and 94. They also examined brain scans produced by magnetic resonance imaging. The study subjects wore accelerometers on their upper thighs for seven days to record their physical activity, and MRI scans revealed details on the size of the brain and the thickness of the cortex in particular.
The study discovered Larger brain sizes, higher grey matter densities, and thicker cortical tissue were all independently correlated with physical exercise dose and intensity in various brain regions. The effects of physical activity on brain volume varied between men and women and across age groups; they were most prominent at low levels of physical activity. For instance, more time spent engaging in activities of a moderate-to-vigorous intensity was linked to a higher total volume of grey matter, but this relationship peaked with increased activity (standardized ß [95% confidence intervals]: 1.37 [0.35, 2.39] and -0.70 [-1.25, -0.15] for the linear and quadratic terms, respectively).
The cortical regions with enrichment in mitochondrial respiration-related genes and motor regions showed the highest benefits of physical activity. In more simple words they discovered that practically all brain areas were significantly affected by physical exercise, particularly those with high concentrations of mitochondria, which provide our bodies their energy. Blood flow must be boosted in areas of the brain that have a lot of mitochondria because they demand a lot of oxygen. According to the researchers, greater blood flow happens during physical activity, like walking, which may help to explain why exercise benefits specific parts of the brain.
The association between larger brain areas and higher levels of physical exercise isn’t linear. Comparing sedentary and just moderately physically active adults, the researchers saw the biggest volume gain, which was particularly pronounced in people over the age of 70. Furthermore, moderately active young, athletic subjects with high brain sizes were included in the group. These brain regions were only slightly larger in more active people.
But the researchers say that this is good news. “According to the findings of our study, even minor behavioral modifications, like walking for 15 minutes each day or using the stairs instead of the elevator, may have a significant positive impact on the brain and possibly prevent age-related brain atrophy and the onset of neurodegenerative diseases. Elderly people, in particular, can already benefit from small increases in low-intensity physical exercise “According to Ahmad Aziz, the director of DZNE’s Population and Clinical Neuroepidemiology division.
Although this news is great it is important to note that the authors of the new study cannot conclusively state that being active for 10 minutes a day will lengthen a person’s lifetime because there was no experimental involved and no conditions or controls that may prove causation. However, the goal of this study was to demonstrate that increased physical activity among the population as a whole promotes collective health by reducing the statistical likelihood of death in adult populations.
Neurology says “Our findings suggest that physical activity benefits brain health, with the strongest effects in motor regions and regions with high oxidative demand. While young adults may particularly profit from additional high-intensity activities, older adults may already benefit from light-intensity activities. Physical activity and reduced sedentary time may be critical in the prevention of age-associated brain atrophy and neurodegenerative diseases.”
Written By Dylan Santoyo
Edited by Sheena Robertrson
Sources
MARTHA STEWART: Want to Lower Your Blood Sugar Levels? Science Says to Go for a Quick 2-Minute Walk After Eating a Meal
NEUROLOGY: Association Between Accelerometer-Derived Physical Activity Measurements and Brain Structure: A Population-Based Cohort Study
PopSci: Short walks could have a big impact on the country’s health
Top and Featured Image Courtesy of Tony Buckley’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
Inset Image Courtesy of Harry Pammer‘s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License