The NY Times recently published a pair of articles (click! & click!) that promote running as not only a great aerobic exercise but also a way to strengthen your brain functioning.
From the first article’s opening paragraph:
“The sport seems to change how the brain works in surprising ways, according to a new report.”
I think that most of us probably believe that the main benefits of running are improved cardio-vascular health, and maybe the totally legal “runner’s high” you feel after a long run.
But when scientists compared MRIs of runners to non-runners, they found the runners showed healthier areas of (more connections among) parts of the brain related to multi-tasking and executive function. Executive function, of course, is not a holiday party for the higher-ups at the company where you work, but your ability to analyze situations, then make and follow through with plans. It’s one of the cognitive powers that people with Parkinson’s start to lose.
To wit:
“In particular, the scientists noted more connectivity in the runners than in the inactive men between parts of the brain that aid in working memory, multitasking, attention, decision-making, and the processing of visual and other sensory information.
There also, interestingly, was less activity among the runners in a part of the brain that tends to indicate lack of focus and mind wandering.”
Sounds like all of us who are still ambulatory should “run” to the nearest sporting goods store and get fitted out with new track shoes and related workout gear!
Furthermore, this applies no matter how old you are:
“In essence, the runners seemed to have brains in which certain cognitive skills, including multitasking and concentration, were more finely honed than among the inactive men. Earlier studies in older adults have found that similar connections are associated with improved memory and cognition as people age.”
What makes running a cognitive activity? Let’s let Dr. Gene Alexander, one of the study’s authors, explain:
“…running seems to be a kind of mobile math puzzle. ‘It requires complex navigational skills,’ Dr. Alexander says, ‘plus an ability to plan, monitor and respond to the environment, juggle memories of past runs and current conditions, and also continue with all of the sequential motor activities of running, which are, themselves, very complicated.’”
Part II of this article is a guide about how to start running if you’ve never done it before. That is, if the only runs you’ve experienced are runs in your stockings. Or midnight runs in your car to the 24-hour donut shop. Or urgent trips to the toilet after eating local food in a foreign country.
Joke!
Click here for the guide on how to start running. And for inspiration from Parkies who excel at running, click on these posts from my archives: bingo! bingo! bingo! bingo! bingo! bingo!
And now, get on out there!
