New research reveals that regular walking can actually grow your brain literally!

A study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences has found that older adults who walked for 40 minutes, three times a week for one year increased the size of their hippocampus the brain area linked to memory and learning. 🏃‍♂️🧠

Why It Matters

The hippocampus is crucial for spatial and episodic memory (like remembering where you parked or someone’s name at a party). Unfortunately, it also shrinks with age and even more rapidly in Alzheimer’s disease. But the study, led by Professor Arthur Kramer at the University of Illinois, shows that exercise can slow or even reverse that shrinkage.

Participants who were previously sedentary showed actual growth in this part of the brain. Meanwhile, a control group who only did stretching saw their hippocampus continue to shrink.

What’s Behind the Brain Boost?

Kramer explains that walking stimulates the birth of new neurons, improves blood flow, and triggers the release of important proteins like BDNF (Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor), which boosts learning and memory.

Even more exciting? The growth occurred specifically in the anterior hippocampus the exact region where new neurons are born in animal studies. That’s a major win for connecting animal and human research! 🧪🐭

It’s Never Too Late to Start

Even adults in their 60s to 80s benefited many had been couch potatoes for years. The message is clear: You don’t need to be a lifelong athlete to see the benefits. Start small, and build up gradually.

What About Brain Games?

Psychologist Margaret Gatz from USC adds that while activities like crossword puzzles may help a little, they don’t have nearly the same impact as physical exercise when it comes to protecting brain health. Exercise improves both the body and brain, and it does so more broadly than cognitive training alone.