Does Brisk Walking Boost Memory and Brain Function? Here’s What a New Study Found
Brand new study looked at the brain changes of older adults after 12 weeks of brisk walking.
Back in May 2023, I riffed to my MBB subscribers about the amazing health benefits of walking in nature.
(which studies show is different than walking on a treadmill… or in an urban environments for a variety of reasons)
Anyway, if you’ve been hesitant about starting an exercise routine, walking is one of the lowest hanging fruit ways to get started. And here’s a new study that may nudge you closer to making it a lifelong habit.
A 2023 study took a group of 33 older adults (in their 70–80’s) with some level of cognitive decline. Participants went through memory tests and an fMRI to observe the networks in the brains. One group was told to do 30-minute brisk walks 4x per week, while the other was a control group.
After 12 weeks:
- The walkers increased their cardiorespiratory fitness (no surprise here).
- They did better on memory tests.
- And they had greater brain function and stronger neural connections (which is a sign of slowing the aging of the brain).
