Exercise and brain health: What's the best one? | Well+Good

Here, he explains why when it comes to exercise and brain health, walking is so effective.“We think of walking as so easy, but there are actually over 200 muscles engaged every time you take a step,” Buettner says. “Even though your brain isn’t [consciously] thinking of those 200 muscles, your brain is still making all those muscles work.” That may have big impacts on brain health, specifically your cognition: One study found that daily walking was correlated with preserving the hippocampus, which is the part of the brain where memory is stored. Given the link between chronic stress and Alzheimer’s disease, those 10 short minutes a day truly are valuable.Keeping stress in check was a valuable insight the creators of a nine-part documentary series The Human Longevity Project also found, showing another link between regions in the world where people live the longest and the importance of managing stress.Here in the States, where productivity is given such a high value, it’s normal to think that doing the absolutely maximum is best: Running instead of walking.