“We’ve always known that exercise
is good for your heart, but we’re now
making a connection between exercise
and cognitive improvements,” said Dr.
Saskia Sivananthan, chief science offi-
cer at the Alzheimer Society of Canada.
Although that link isn’t yet fully
understood, Sivananthan says there
are a number of possible explanations:
increased blood flow to the brain
increases the organ’s cell growth;
physical activity stimulates certain
hormones that improve well-being and
may reduce brain-matter loss linked to
cognitive function; and walking might
also reduce inflammation in the brain.
Meanwhile, one study from McMas-
ter University has shown that aerobic
activity that incorporates intervals of
higher-intensity exertion improves
memory function. According to Dr.
Jennifer Heisz, who worked on the
research, walking promotes production
of a protein, BDNF, that spurs growth of
new brain cells. These cells help us cre-
ate high-fidelity memories—“the type
we need everyday to locate our car in
a busy parking lot and recognize a
friend in a crowd,” she said.
IT’S GOOD FOR YOUR
SOCIAL LIFE
Jim Button, a 56-year-old entrepreneur
in Calgary, was diagnosed with kidney
cancer in 2014. He underwent success-
ful surgery but, less than two years
later, he learned that his cancer was
back, had spread and was terminal.
PUT YOUR BEST
FOOT FORWARD
To get the most out of walking,
treat it like a workout, says
Calgary- based personal-fitness
trainer Korey Samuelson:
Q Walk with an upright posture,
your head held straight, not
looking up or down. Keep your
gaze about five metres ahead.
Q To move faster, put more
bend in your elbows.
Q Swing your arms forward and
back; moving them across the
body isn’t efficient. “Just like
sprinting, arm movement is
important for strong walking,”
says Samuelson.
Q When your lead foot lands on
the ground, roll from heel to toe.
Your footwear should be pliable
enough to allow the natural
movement across your foot.
Q To speed up, increase your
strides per minute rather than
elongating your strides. More
steps per minute means you’ll
travel further, faster.
Q Use Nordic walking poles
to increase your heart rate and
burn more calories.
Q Intersperse intervals of brisk
walking with periods at a
slower pace.rd.ca 53