Posts Tagged ‘walking’

Mind And Body – Mental Exercise Benefits Physical Mobility

Monday, November 8th, 2010

A study on the physical impact of computer-based mental exercise found that brain training led to a measurable (although not statistically significant) improvement in the mobility of a group of seniors.

Published in the Journal of Gerontology, the study of ten seniors showed an increase in normal-walking speed. A control group showed no improvement.

The study also looked at the ability to walk while speaking — which takes more concentration than walking without talking – the study subjects who used the computer program recorded notable improvement on their initial speeds. The control group has no improvement in walking speed.

What’s interesting about this study is the further evidence of the relationship between mental and physical activity. We tend to think about mental activity as something separate from physical activity.  But this conceptual division is, if not illusory, then at least deceptive. Every physical action, whether mindful or not, involves activity in the nervous system and the brain.

This finding about brain exercise and normal walking speed reminds me of a similar study showing that simply practicing a physical activity mentally (such as playing the piano) leads to improvement in the activity itself almost as great as if the practice had been physical.