Walking exercises to protect brain health after 60 years

Walking can keep your brain happy and healthy.

When adults want to improve their brain health, many people turn to crossword puzzles, Sudoku, word searches, and more. These are all great ways maintain mental stability. But physical activity, such as walking, is also surprisingly beneficial. The reason is simple. When you a fast walkit increases blood flow to your head. Along with it comes healthy nutrients and oxygen. This process can also help your memory, lower stress hormones and generate new brain cells. Plus, walking puts you in a better overall mood.

Crossword puzzles and walking are two surefire ways to keep your brain happy and healthy, but they work differently.

“The crossword puzzle gives your brain a focused workout. It challenges skills like memory, vocabulary, and problem solving, but it mostly strengthens the abilities you already use. Therefore, brain games improve your interest in the game itself, rather than improving general cognitive function,” he explains. Rachel Lambert, LPC, BCNFounder of Braincode Centers where she helps people improve brain health through neuroscience and brain mapping. “Walking works in the opposite direction. Physical activity increases blood flow to the brain and the production of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a protein that helps brain cells grow, adapt, and form new connections. Rather than practicing a mental skill, walking promotes overall brain health.”

If Lambert had to choose one over the other, she’d recommend walking because it supports the brain as a whole — a benefit that goes beyond completing a puzzle.

So, if you’re ready to give your brain a boost, we talked to experts who share five walking exercises that protect brain health.

Intermediate steps

“Brisk walking provides a greater cardiovascular challenge for the body than steady-state walking, and research shows that greater cardiovascular challenge is associated with better brain perfusion,” he says. Dr. Mariam Zachary, DOA clinical consultant at Icon Rehabilitation Center, located in New Jersey, who is dual board certified in physical medicine and rehabilitation as well as sports medicine.

How to do it:

1. Alternate brisk walking for 1 to 2 minutes.
2. Then, walk at a comfortable pace for 2 to 3 minutes.

Step back

“The act of walking backwards requires more attentional resources as well as increased coordination and balance. In addition, when people walk backwards, the processing demands on the brain increase because the brain is required to interpret movement patterns differently,” said Dr. Zachary.

How to do it:

1. Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart and engage your core.
2. Step one straight leg back, landing on the ball of your foot before lowering your heel.
3. Shift your body weight onto your back leg.
4. Step the opposite leg back and continue alternating.

Bilateral march

When you perform an additional task while walking, there are significant demands on the brain to process executive functions.6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

“Executive function is often described as involving ‘thought’ and automatic processes. Research has shown that dual performance while walking can improve cognitive processing speed over time, indicating better performance across multiple tasks,” Dr. Zachary tells us.

How to do it:

1. Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart.
2. Start walking at a comfortable pace on a clear path.
3. Perform a secondary task while walking. Examples include naming animals while walking or reading numbers backwards.

Step on an uneven surface

Uneven steps are performed on surfaces such as the beach, dirt paths, gravel, and grassy areas. Make sure the surface is completely stable and free of obstacles.

Dr Zachary says: “Walking on uneven ground engages additional neural networks compared to walking on smooth surfaces such as pavements. In particular, walking on uneven ground seems to focus more on proprioceptive processing, where people use their senses to determine their position and orientation in space.”

How to do it:

1. Choose a safe and uneven surface for walking.
2. Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart and strengthen your core.
3. Start walking at a slow, comfortable pace.
4. Instead of looking down at your feet, keep your gaze forward.

Change direction

This exercise involves turning into a figure eight, turning gently while walking, and incorporating lateral movements.

“All of these directional changes require enhanced agility and spatial awareness, which are critical components of successful navigation in complex environments,” explains Dr. Zachary.

How to do it:

1. Start by placing two markers about 6 to 10 feet apart.
2. Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart and strengthen your core.
3. Start walking at a comfortable pace in a figure eight pattern around the markers.
4. Make sure to make smooth and controlled turns while following the pattern.

Alexa Mellardo