Why you should exercise every day... It makes your brain 4 years younger?

It's well known that exercise is good for brain health. But what kind of exercise should you do? While the general consensus is that moderate to vigorous exercise has cognitive benefits, all types of physical activity, including light walking, have been shown to improve cognitive processing speed.

According to Medical News Today, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine monitored participants' activity levels in real time via cell phones and examined their cognitive processing speed several times a day.

 

The researchers found that engaging in daily activities, regardless of intensity, could lower cognitive age by as much as four years in a short period of time.

Participants were surveyed about their physical activity five times a day for seven days via a mobile phone app and took part in two brain games.

 

The first game was to press symbols that matched the symbols displayed at the top of the screen. After 12 rounds, the average response time was recorded on the app. This score increased after the physical activity.

 

The second game involved remembering and marking the positions of three dots on a grid. . In the four-round game, scores did not improve after physical activity, but participants responded faster, even if inaccurately.

 

"As we age, cognitive processing speed can slow down by up to 15 milliseconds (ms) per year," said Dr. Jonathan G. Harkun, an assistant professor of neurology and psychology at the university. Participants in this study experienced a gain of about 60 ms, equivalent to about four years of cognitive processing time.

 

The study categorized participants' physical activity into light (such as housework, dog walking, cleaning, or other activities requiring minimal effort), moderate (such as brisk walking, light cycling, or jogging), and vigorous (such as running, fast cycling, or strenuous hiking).

 

"It's interesting that even short-term, everyday activity can have benefits," said Dr. Vernon Williams, a sports neurologist. "High-intensity exercise and long-term exercise release specific brain chemicals and neurotransmitters that are beneficial for cognitive health, and they also improve cardiovascular function. Increased blood flow to the frontal lobe may also be associated with, or correlated with, regular physical activity."

 

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A light walk is good for your brain health.

I went for a walk yesterday afternoon after 4 o'clock.

It's a bit cold at that time now

Take a walk in the sunshine