Take a Walk

[CROWN COUNCIL]

Maybe you have just been cooped up inside all day or are just feeling a little down.  Maybe you have been problem solving but can’t seem to come up with a solution.  If one or more of these things sounds familiar, it’s time to take some advice from Justin Rhodes, an associate professor of psychology at the University of Illinois.  He says that your afternoon stroll may do wonders for you.  A growing body of evidence suggests that we think and learn better after we take a walk or do some other form of exercise. The reason for this is not completely understood, but part of the reason is related to blood flow everywhere in the body including the brain.

 

More blood means more energy and oxygen which make the brain perform better.  Another explanation for why exercise is beneficial is that the part of the brain that has to do with learning and memory is highly active during exercise.  Recent research indicates that aerobic exercise can actually reduce the brain shrinkage which otherwise occurs naturally with age. Another study found that students who exercise perform better on tests than their less athletic peers. 

 

All in all it looks like it would be a good idea to take a walk.

 

Gregory B. Anderson–director