Many believe good habits help achieve a healthy mind. Diet is important, so is engaging your mind with any number of things, from games to hobbies. But one easy tip might be the simplest of all.
According to this article on CNBC, Neuroscientist and New York University professor Dr. Wendy Suzuki says that taking walks is good for your brain, and they don’t even have to be long ones.
Suzuki says walking for 10 minutes every day reduces anxiety and depression levels, regardless of who you are or where you live.
It gives you a mental bath of neurochemicals like dopamine and serotonin, which stimulate feelings of well-being in your brain.
She adds that while the benefits of consistent daily walking can be felt instantly, they really show up months down the road, leading to all sorts of growth factors that improve brain health.
And it’s never too late. Even if you start at 75, it will still pay work.
Suzuki says she’s speaking from experience when she lists the benefits of daily walking. One time she realized she was glued to her work and, as a result, was losing herself and neglecting her body.
So she started immersing herself in ways to improve her mental well-being.
Suzuki isn’t the only one saying walking helps. The medical journal Neurology carried out a systematic study in 2022, finding a 17% lower chance of developing dementia in those who engaged in regular physical activity, including walking, compared to those who didn’t exercise regularly.
If you want to challenge yourself further, try an exercise requiring strategy, like basketball or soccer. Those challenge your prefrontal cortex, according to Suzuki.
Suzuki points out that she would prescribe physical activity to practically anyone, but she also feels the type of physical activity you participate in needs to make you happy.
“We’re all busy,” she stresses.
Yet, exercise can be a way to decompress at the end of a long day and be used to wake yourself up in the morning.
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