Adopting the habit of walking, preferably every day, is a rather repetitive recommendation as a positive action for our health and well-being. Due to the high levels of sedentary lifestyle in our current society, coupled with the fact that busy routines interfere with walking, an excuse that does not justify the importance of not practicing this physical and mental exercise, little is questioned about the most appropriate place for the carrying out this type of activity.
“Go on, walk! Go up the stairs of the buildings, avoiding the elevator; walk from home to work” are some tips that people often hear so that people can acquire this habit in the midst of activities considered essential in their daily lives.
But little, or almost never, is discussed which is the most suitable place to walk. After all, if it's so difficult to get these people out of television series, internet and video games, maybe it's also demanding a lot to charge where they should take a walk. It could be, but it shouldn't.
According to a study carried out by Gregory Bratman, a graduate student at Stanford University, the blood flow in the prefrontal cortex of people's brains varies according to where they walk. The more blood, the more activities the brain performs. To reach this conclusion, Bratman selected 38 people and divided them into two groups, asking one of these groups to walk in a wooded area, while the other team walked in a busier point of the surroundings of the institution. After completing the stipulated paths, both groups would answer questionnaires to check brain activity.
With the help of CT scans before and after the two groups walked in the respective areas for an hour and a half, Bratman observed that the blood flow in the prefrontal cortex of those who walked in the busiest area was more intense. In the case of those who circulated through the wooded area it turned out that they had less blood circulating in the prefrontal cortex.
Although blood flow is a positive thing, the search for a relaxing walk and to relieve routine tensions should preferably be done in wooded areas, according to the research. Walking is the most important thing, but human contact with nature provides us with the condition to see the world beyond what we are used to. The world we create is artificial, so contact with nature is essential to guide us to the roots of our origin. As important as the saying “tell me who you hang out with”, where you hang out is also relevant.
- Written by Diego Rennan of Team Eu Sem Fronteiras.
