Five Reasons To Tell Those You Care About To “Go take a walk!”

As the Holiday season approaches many of us are trying to find ways to show our loved ones we care. I suggest that you tell them all to “go take a walk.” Literally, it may be the best thing you can do for them. Here are 5 reasons why.

1.   It Lowers Risk Of Depression

This can be critical around this holiday season. A 49-study review led by King's College London found that any kind of exercising (including brisk walking) for just twenty minutes a day could cut the risk of developing depression by a third.

2.   It Improves Overall Cognitive Functioning

Harvard Health reported in 2016 that participants who participated in aerobic activities, such as walking, performed better on tests, and had a quicker and more accurate reaction time.

3.   It Helps With Mental And Physical Fatigue

Just twenty minutes of low intensity exercise, like walking, was found to dramatically decrease fatigue in a study conducted at the University of Georgia. Study participants that exercised for twenty minutes at a low intensity level, three times a week, reported a 65 percent reduction in their fatigue levels.

4.   It Strengthens Memory

As reported by NPR, going for a walk, even briefly, can increase the size of your hippocampus — the region of your brain that plays a critical role in forming and storing memories, as well as the associated feelings that go along with those memories. Walking may be one way to help with memory problems.

5.   It Improves Creativity

A Stanford study published in 2014 found that walking increased a person's "creative output" by an average of 60 percent. It may be just the thing you need to get unstuck on the work problem.

And while you are at it, go take a walk for yourself. You will be happy you did!

Dr. Larry Pfaff is a career, executive and health coach who helps people live more fulfilling lives. Check out his profile at www.dhirubhai.net/in/drlarrypfaff/ or contact him at [email protected]

Copyright 2018 Lawrence A. Pfaff