A friend told me once – ” we’re made for walking.” – and a recent study shows he was right.
In May 2018, researchers from the universities of Milan and Pavia showed in the Journal Frontiers in Neuroscience, an active link between exercise and neurogenesis. When we use our legs, the brain receives vital signals triggering the production of neural cells essential to handle stress and adapt to new challenges in life.
Walking is part of John Medina’s first brain rule which inspired me to change my life, reduce weight and have a healthier brain. Since I read his book during vacations, I began walking 30 minutes every day. After one year, besides controlling the amount of food in my plate and the amount of sugar, my weight went from 91kg to 75kg without a special diet.
For those who are knowledge workers – students, professors, and researchers – our profession is thinking. And we may spend too much time seated in front of a computer without using our legs. Our work depends on thinking, and thinking improves with a healthy brain. Ultimately, taking a walk is a step forward in the right direction.
Time to get up and take a walk. Want to join me?