26/11/2023
👣 walk this way👣
5 benefits of walking….
✨Walking may help you grow new brain cell.
Moderately paced walks stimulate the release of a protein called brain-derived neurotrophic factor, or BDNF, that is key to the survival of existing brain neurons and the generation of new ones.
✨Walking may boost your creativity.
Walking increases the flow of oxygen and nutrients to the brain, which can open the gates to enhanced creativity. The brain uses “about three times as much oxygen for healthy neuron function as muscles do” and is extremely sensitive to decreases in oxygen levels.
✨Walking may enhance your mood.
When you walk, increased blood flow to the brain initiates a “cascade of changes”. A cocktail of feel-good neurotransmitters — serotonin, dopamine, endorphins — is released.”Our bodies manufacture vitamin D when exposed to sunlight, furthering the production of serotonin, a hormone benefiting memory and mood. Even on a cloudy day, “exposure to light elevates the mood
✨Walking may reduce the risk of cognitive decline.
Participants in a trial who walked more than 4,000 steps per day had healthier brain tissue in the area responsible for memory, learning and cognitive function than those who did not, one study found. That brain region, called the hippocampus, typically begins to shrink in late adulthood, leading not only to impaired memory but also an increased risk of dementia. The research revealed that aerobic exercise increases the size of the hippocampus.
✨Walking may decrease brain damaging stress.
Repeated exposure to stressful situations impairs memory, attention and cognitive flexibility. Walking in nature has been shown to be particularly effective at reducing stress levels. The impact of being outdoors may have to do with “optic flow” — the perception that objects are moving past us as we walk, which quiets the circuits responsible for stress
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