“One of the biggest misconceptions is that exercise has to be hard. That exercise means marathon running or riding your bike for three hours or doing something really strenuous. [But] humans were born to stroll.“—Gretchen Reynolds, NEW YORK TIMES HEALTH COLUMNIST
Knowing that the brain is an organ that uses the most energy in the form of glucose as well as oxygen, the discovery that each footfall contributes to more blood moving to the brain is encouragement still for getting out and taking a walk.
One of the people that Norman Doidge interviewed in The Brain’s Way of Healing (see my review), walks 15 miles a week. This is one hour of walking, five days a week. He has a degenerative disease that needs managed by this much walking as well as other interventions. And walking has been the key to his ongoing health.
Most of us don’t need that much, but if you can do it, why not try it and see what happens. Studies show though that 20 minutes of walking is beneficial to the health of your brain.
Comments are closed