There are plenty of reasons to put one foot in front of the other and head out the door

Walking brings a whole host of benefits, from breathing in the fresh air to improving your sleep quality and moving your muscles and joints. Your mood will likely be better after your walk, which could make the day ahead more productive. Research has shown that a brief 10-minute walk can lower your blood pressure, so there are plenty of reasons to put one foot in front of the other and head out the door. A new study reveals that walking could make your brain this many years younger. Let's take a look at the study.

The study

In the study published in the Annals of Behavioral Medicine, the researchers set out to determine the health impacts of everyday physical activities, including walking regularly and doing chores. The 204 participants answered questions on their phones during a nine-day study. They checked in six times every day, around every 3.5 hours.

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Participants reported if they had been physically active since their last check-in. They categorized the exercise as light, moderate, or vigorous. Light exercise included walking, whereas the vigorous exercise category included hiking. Next, the participants played two brain games that assessed their working memory and cognitive processing speed.

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The researchers concluded that when people were physically active at some point during the last 3.5 hours, their processing speeds were the same as someone four years younger. This also applied even with light exercise. The researchers found that "engaging in everyday physical activity of any intensity level could have short-term, acute benefits for cognitive health." In this interesting study, walking and being physically active in the last few hours could have turned back the clock on cognitive functioning.

The takeaway

It's possible that daily tasks and physical activity like doing chores and walking regularly could help keep you and your brain younger and sharper. However, this is only one study, and more research is needed to determine if walking slows cognitive decline and further examine the effects of walking on cognitive functioning.

Tips to include more walking in your schedule

You don't have to walk for miles at once.

Here are some top tips to get moving:

Try to make sure you stay hydrated. Start with a light walk in the morning and evening. Instead of driving, try walking somewhere that's close enough, like a friend's house or a local shop. Walk when you're on the phone. Park further away. Set a 'walking' alarm. Walk a dog. Walk during your lunch break. Take the stairs. Explore your local farmer's market.

Walking provides a multitude of benefits for your brain, mood, blood circulation, and more. Increasing your step count and adding more walking into your day helps you get those benefits and sharpen your brain.

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