Walking is good, yes, we know. But you don’t need to make kilometers or sweat for hours in the gym to have benefits. According to several scientific research, even only 10-12 minutes of light walk can improve the quality of the day. More stable mood, more lucid head, more active memory. And the interesting thing is that this also applies if you walk indoors, in a boring environment, as evidenced by a Stanford University study.
The movement immediately activates the brain, enhances creativity and makes it easier to find solutions or new ideas. A short walk can have the same effect as a coffee break … but without sugar and with a positive impact on the mind.
Walk stimulates creative thinking
A team of researchers from Stanford, led by Marily Oppezzo and Daniel Schwartz, has shown that walking increases creativity up to 60% compared to being sitting. And it doesn’t matter where: outdoors or on a treadmill, the important thing is to move.
In their experiment, the participants had to invent alternative uses for common objects. Those who walked (even in front of a white wall!) Found many more original ideas than those who were stopped. Not only that: the mental benefits continued even after stopping.
This means that a short walk before creative work or an important decision can make a difference. You don’t need a breathtaking landscape, nor a forest: just get up and walk.
Movement and social relationships
According to the American Psychological Association, walking also improves attention, memory and the ability to make decisions. All this happens because physical activity, even light, stimulates the release of serotonin and dopamine, the molecules that regulate the good mood, and lowers the levels of stress hormones.
To confirm these effects is also the scientific revision Neurobiological Effects of Physical Exercisewhich explains how a few minutes are enough to activate a positive response in the brain.
But there is another key factor: sociability. Walking in company, perhaps with a friend or colleague, makes everything more effective and pleasant. Studies of Harvard Health and of the Journal of Health and Social Behavior They explain that speaking and sharing a moment walking reduces stress, strengthens emotional balance and stimulates mental health.
Don’t you want to lose our news?
You may also be interested in:
