MATHEW EDLUND
Contributing Columnist
edlund@lbknews.com
Can’t remember names? Birthdays?
Sex grows brain memory areas – in mice. But what works in people? The answer: walking.
There are numerous studies that show walking can prevent Alzheimer’s. Can it improve memory?
A recent research study at the University of Pittsburgh was simplicity itself. Two groups of adults were looked at, from age 55-80. Both groups did little “exercise.” One group was asked to walk three times a week. The goal was 40 minutes a time, though rather few made it that long. The other group spent the same amount of time stretching, doing yoga and lifting weights.
At the end of the year, the walking group showed improved memory. And something else. A bigger hippocampus — a 2 percent increase. The group that stretched showed a decline of 1.4 percent of hippocampal size.
Why should you care? The hippocampus is critical for memory.
How memory works
The hippocampus engages in a near endless conversation with the cortex to entrain memory. Much of this conversation takes place at night — during sleep (check out previous articles at www.therestdoctor.com for explanation).
In the Lubeck study, reactivating memories by placing an odor in people’s nostrils during deep sleep markedly improved memory and learning scores. You grow your memory storage in sleep. You learn while you sleep and rest. What these and other studies are also saying is:
1. You can literally grow new memory storage — if you walk.