Study Shows that Short Walks Can Improve Brain Processing Speed
New research from Penn State reveals that engaging in everyday physical activities, such as walking and household chores, can enhance cognitive processing speed in middle-aged adults.
Even short bursts of daily physical activity, like climbing stairs or gardening, can have an immediate positive impact on brain function for middle-aged adults. This can result in them thinking as quickly as individuals four years younger, according to a recent study.
Stay Active to Think Faster
As we get older, our cognitive processing speed naturally declines, which is a typical aspect of aging. However, a study published in the Annals of Behavioral Medicine in October suggests that regular physical activity can benefit brain health right away, particularly in terms of improving cognitive processing speed in middle-aged individuals.
Jonathan Hakun, assistant professor of neurology and psychology at Penn State and a co-author of the study, emphasized the importance of all forms of movement for cognitive health. He stated in a press release that everyday movement contributes to accumulated physical activity, which can positively impact cognitive health.
Cognitive Benefits Occur Quickly
To explore the immediate effects of physical activity on cognitive health, the researchers utilized ecological momentary assessment (EMA) to observe people’s behaviors in their natural settings.
The study monitored 204 participants aged 40 to 65 from the Bronx, New York, who had no history of cognitive impairment. Nearly half of the participants were Black or African American, and 34% were Hispanic.
Participants recorded their activities six times per day over nine days and performed cognitive tasks after reporting their physical activity levels.
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The research identified several key findings:
- Engaging in physical activity within the past 3.5 hours led to enhanced processing speed.
- While working memory did not see improvement, response times in memory tasks displayed enhancement.
- Increased frequency of activity correlated with greater cognitive benefits.
According to Hakun, “We naturally slow down physically and cognitively as we age. Movement offers a brief counteracting effect to this decline. It’s a compelling idea.”
Participants who engaged in more frequent physical activity experienced greater cognitive benefits compared to less active individuals. This suggests that regular physical activity may be linked to improved cognitive health benefits, although further research is required to understand how the frequency and timing of physical activity impact cognitive health.
The researchers concluded, “These results indicate that everyday physical activity can boost cognitive health in middle age, with immediate benefits.” Hakun and his team plan to expand their research by incorporating activity monitoring tools into their assessments and collecting long-term data to compare the effects of daily activity on cognitive health against the usual aging process.
