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BITESIZE | How Walking Improves Our Brain and Mental Health | Shane O’Mara #160

Feb 26, 2021 9m 7s 9 insights
Walking can slow and even reverse functional ageing in the brain, improve our cognition, our creativity and our mental health but yet it is such an underrated activity. Feel Better Live More Bitesize is my new weekly podcast for your mind, body and heart. Each week I’ll be featuring inspirational stories and practical tips from some of my former guests. Today’s clip is from episode 84 of the podcast with neuroscientist Shane O’Mara, a professor of experimental brain research at Trinity College Dublin. Shane believes walking can be our superpower. In this clip he explains how the many benefits of walking go beyond the physical – it’s important for our mood, our happiness and our wellbeing. Shane reveals the results of a study that showed that walking improved memory and attention and reversed functional ageing of the brain, and that if we walk before doing a task, we perform it more creatively. The benefits of walking are retained throughout life and it’s never too late to start. As Shane says, ‘you only get old when you stop walking, you don’t stop walking because you’re old’. Show notes and the full podcast are available at drchatterjee.com/84 Follow me on instagram.com/drchatterjee/ Follow me on facebook.com/DrChatterjee/ Follow me on twitter.com/drchatterjeeuk
Actionable Insights

1. Reverse Brain Aging with Walking

Walk three times a week for about a mile and a half, even in your 70s, to improve memory and attention, increase hippocampal volume, and functionally reverse brain aging, as it’s never too late to start.

2. Boost Brain Volume & Memory

Engage in lots of aerobic exercise, particularly walking, to increase the volume of the hippocampal formation and improve memory, as the brain is plastic and benefits from being worked like a muscle.

3. Boost Creativity Before Tasks

Walk for 5-10 minutes prior to engaging in intellectual tasks or creative problem-solving, as this can double the number of ideas generated and improve performance, even for older individuals.

4. Improve Mood with a Walk

Go for a walk for about 20 minutes, even if you dread it, because people consistently underestimate how much better it will make them feel, often raising their mood significantly.

5. Engineer Walking into Daily Life

Make walking the default option for movement throughout your day, rather than relying on cars, to easily integrate its benefits into your life without conscious effort.

6. Walk for Overall Well-being

Engage in walking regularly to boost cognition, creativity, and mood, as it is an underrated activity with benefits beyond physical health.

7. Try AG1 for Gut Health

Consider subscribing to AG1 for daily gut health support, as it contains beneficial bacteria and plant-based compounds, and receive free supplements and a welcome kit with your first order.

8. Subscribe to Friday Five

Sign up for the “Friday Five” email at drchatterjee.com/FridayFive to receive weekly doses of positivity, articles, books, quotes, and research, aiming to provide a feel-good start to the weekend.

9. Subscribe to Podcast

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