Walking outdoors in fresh air is good for your brain and well-being. Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development (UKE) have reached this conclusion. The World Journal of Biological Psychiatry recently published the longitudinal study.
Walking outdoors became a regular pastime during the Corona pandemic. Neuroscientific research suggests that walking outdoors has a positive effect on brain structure and general well-being. The brain reaps the benefits of even brief outdoor stays. It was thought that environment had an effect on us over longer periods of times.
For six months, six middle-aged healthy city residents were surveyed by the researchers. More than 280 brain scans were taken using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The study focused on participants’ self-reported walking outdoors behavior over the past 24 hours, and more specifically on their time spent outside before imaging. To determine if the relationship between outdoor time and brain activity was affected by these factors, participants were also asked about their fluid intake and caffeinated beverage consumption. To be able to account for seasonal variations, we also considered the length of the sun during the study period.
Brain scans show that the time spent outdoors by the participants was positively related to gray matter in the right dorsolateral-prefrontal cortex, which is the superior (dorsal) and lateral part of the frontal lobe in the cerebral cortex. This cortex is responsible for the planning and regulation, as well as cognitive control. A number of psychiatric disorders have been linked to a decrease in gray matter in this area.
Even though other factors that might explain the relationship between outdoor time and brain structure were not considered, the results remained consistent. Researchers performed statistical calculations to determine the impact of sun exposure, time spent outdoors, fluid intake, and sunshine duration on the results. The results showed that outdoor time had a positive impact on the brain, regardless of other factors.
Our results showed that walking outdoors improves brain structure and mood. This may also impact concentration, working memory, and the whole psyche. This is the subject of an ongoing study. Simone Kuhn is the head of the Lise Meitner Group for Environmental Neuroscience at Max Planck Institute for Human Development, and the lead author of this study.
These results support the positive effects of walking outdoors on your health, and expand them by demonstrating the positive effects on your brain. This is especially important for psychiatry because most mental disorders are linked to deficits in the prefrontal cortex.
“These findings provide neuroscientific support for the treatment of mental disorders. Doctors could prescribe a walk in the fresh air as part of the therapy – similar to what is customary for health cures,” says Anna Mascherek, post-doctoral fellow in the Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy of the Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE) and co-author of the study.
The ongoing research will also allow the researchers to compare the effects of urban and green environments on the brain. The researchers will use GPS data (Global Positioning System), and other factors such as traffic noise or pollution, to help them understand the location of the participants.
Related Journal Article: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15622975.2021.1938670