Motivating ourselves to run during winter can be extremely difficult, especially when it's rainy and windy outside. However, new research has found that running for just 10 minutes improves brain health.
In the study, researchers from Tsukuba University in Japan asked participants to jog on a treadmill for only 10 minutes at 50% of their maximum effort. They then conducted a test to measure brain response, revealing an increase in pleasure and excitement in the brain, along with heightened activation of the prefrontal cortex.
In other words, it was found that runners experienced increased blood flow in the part of the brain associated with executive functions and mood regulation. Researchers then compared these results to a similar study on cycling, which also showed improvements in cognition but did not enhance mood. Thus, it seems that different types of exercise can stimulate different emotions.
These findings suggest that we do not necessarily need to engage in extensive exercise to feel its benefits, according to the website "Metro."
