Simple, everyday movements like walking the dog can preserve brain health
By StudyFinds
HERSHEY, Pa. — We all know that exercise is good for our physical health, but did you know it can also give your brain a boost? According to a new study by researchers at Penn State, just a few minutes of everyday physical activity like walking the dog or doing household chores can improve cognitive processing speed — the pace at which your brain takes in and processes information.
The study, published in the Annals of Behavioral Medicine, looked at over 200 middle-aged adults between 40 and 65, half of whom were Black or African American and 34% were Hispanic. Participants checked in multiple times a day on a smartphone app, reporting any physical activity they engaged in since the last check-in and then completing a series of brain games to test their cognitive abilities.
“You don’t have to go to the gym to experience all the potential benefits of physical activity,” says lead study author Jonathan Hakun, an assistant professor of neurology and psychology at Penn State, in a university release. “All movement is important. Everyday movement counts as a source of accumulated physical activity that could be credited toward a healthy lifestyle and may have some direct impact on cognitive health.”
The researchers found that on days when participants engaged in physical activity — whether it was light, like walking, or more intense, like jogging — they showed improvements in processing speed equivalent to being four years younger. This suggests that even a brief burst of movement can temporarily counteract the cognitive slowing that comes with normal aging.
“We get slower as we age, both physically and cognitively. The idea here is that we can momentarily counteract that through movement. It’s compelling,” Hakun explains. “There’s the potential for a brief walk or a little extra movement to give you a boost.”
Interestingly, the study didn’t find any improvements in working memory, which is our ability to hold and manipulate information in our minds. However, Hakun says the response time on the working memory tasks mirrored the processing speed benefits, suggesting that movement may have a more immediate impact on how quickly our brains function rather than on higher-level cognitive skills.
One limitation of the study is that it only looked at short-term effects — participants were tested on their cognitive abilities right after reporting physical activity, not over the long-term. Despite this, Hakun says the findings suggest that making movement a regular part of your daily routine could lead to compounding benefits for brain health as you age.
“There’s the potential for a brief walk or a little extra movement to give you a boost,” the researcher concludes.
It’s an important reminder that all movement counts, not just exercise at the gym. Something as simple as taking the stairs or doing some chores around the house could give your brain a little pickup. So, the next time you feel a mental fog coming on, try getting up and moving around a bit. It just might be the brain boost you need.
Paper Summary
Methodology
This study used a method called Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) to track participants’ physical activities and cognitive performance multiple times daily over nine days. Participants aged 40-65 from the Bronx, New York, were given smartphones programmed with an app to record their activity and perform brief brain tests every few hours.
The study focused on two main tasks: a Symbol Search task to measure the speed of thought and a Grid Memory task for short-term memory. Physical activity was self-reported and categorized by intensity, ranging from light activities like casual walking to moderate-to-vigorous actions such as running or brisk walking.
Key Results
The study found that even short periods of physical activity, whether light or intense, helped participants think faster shortly after. Participants performed better on brain games measuring speed, showing improvements equivalent to “feeling” cognitively four years younger. Interestingly, this boost in thinking speed happened regardless of whether the activity was light or intense. However, while response time improved in the memory game, accuracy in the memory task didn’t show much change after the activity.
Study Limitations
Some limitations could impact the study’s conclusions. First, activity data relied on self-reports, which can be less accurate than wearable trackers. Also, because the study sample was from a specific community and involved a unique group that volunteered for a dietary study, the results might not apply to everyone. Another potential limitation was that light and intense activity effects seemed similar, which may suggest that the reported intensity might not capture actual activity levels accurately.
Discussion & Takeaways
The findings suggest that everyday physical activity—no matter the intensity—may offer immediate cognitive benefits, especially for processing speed. Regular, frequent activity could help maintain this benefit over time, possibly serving as a practical intervention to support cognitive health in middle-aged adults. For those less inclined to vigorous exercise, lighter activities could still offer cognitive perks, supporting broader recommendations to “move more and sit less.”
Funding & Disclosures
This research was funded by the National Institute on Aging and other institutions, which had no influence on the study’s design, data interpretation, or publication decisions. All researchers have declared no conflicts of interest.
Source: StudyFinds
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