Revitalize Your Brain: Top 5 Walking Exercises for Sharp Minds Over 60

Regular walking is a simple yet powerful way to boost brain health as you age.

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For many seniors aiming to enhance cognitive function, the go-to activities often include mental exercises like crossword puzzles, Sudoku, and word searches. While these are excellent for maintaining mental acuity, incorporating physical activities such as walking can offer surprising benefits to brain health. The science behind it is straightforward: a brisk walk increases blood circulation to the brain, delivering essential nutrients and oxygen. This process not only aids memory retention and stress reduction but also promotes the growth of new brain cells, ultimately elevating your mood.

Both completing crossword puzzles and taking daily walks can promote brain vitality, though they achieve this through distinct methods.

“Crossword puzzles provide a concentrated mental workout, honing skills like memory, vocabulary, and problem-solving. However, they mainly reinforce skills you already possess, which is why such brain games enhance proficiency at those specific tasks rather than broadening cognitive capabilities,” explains Rachel Lambert, LPC, BCN, Founder of Braincode Centers. She uses neurofeedback and brain mapping to assist individuals in fortifying brain health. “Conversely, walking stimulates the brain differently. It enhances blood flow and triggers the release of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a protein vital for brain cell development, adaptability, and forming new neural connections. Walking, therefore, caters to overall brain health rather than focusing on a single cognitive skill.”

If required to prioritize between the two, Lambert asserts her preference for walking due to its comprehensive support for brain health, which extends beyond the benefits provided by completing puzzles.

So, if you’re ready to sharpen your brain, we spoke with experts who share five walking exercises that help protect brain health.

Brisk Interval Walking

“Brisk interval walking provides a greater cardiovascular challenge for the body compared to steady-state walking, and research indicates that greater cardiovascular challenge is associated with better brain perfusion,” says Dr. Mariam Zakhary, DO, Clinical Advisor of Ikon Recovery Center, located in New Jersey, who’s double board-certified in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation as well as Sports Medicine.6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

Here’s how to do it:

1. Alternate between walking at a brisk pace for 1 to 2 minutes.
2. Then, walk at a comfortable speed for 2 to 3 minutes.

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Backwards Walking

“The act of backward walking requires more attentional resources as well as increased coordination and balance than forward walking. Additionally, when individuals walk backward, the processing demands on the brain increase as the brain is required to interpret movement patterns differently,” Dr. Zakhary points out.

Here’s how to do it:

1. Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart and your core engaged.
2. Step one foot straight back, landing on the ball of your foot before lowering your heel.
3. Shift your body weight onto your back foot.
4. Step the opposite foot back, and continue to alternate.

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Dual-Task Walking

When you perform an additional task while walking, there are substantial executive function processing demands on the brain.

“Executive function is often described as involving ‘thinking’ versus automatic processes. Research has demonstrated that dual-tasking during walking can improve cognitive processing speed over time, indicating improved performance across multiple tasks,” Dr. Zakhary tells us.

Here’s how to do it:

1. Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart.
2. Start to walk at a comfortable speed in a clear path.
3. While walking, perform a secondary task. Examples include naming animals as you walk or reciting numbers backward.

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Uneven Surface Walking

Uneven surface walking can be completed on surfaces such as the beach, dirt trails, gravel, and grassy areas. Make sure the surface is completely stable and free of obstacles.

“Uneven surface walking engages additional neural networks compared to walking on smooth flat surfaces such as sidewalks. In particular, uneven-surface walking places greater emphasis on proprioceptive processing, where individuals use their senses to determine their position and orientation in space,” Dr. Zakhary says.

Here’s how to do it:

1. Choose a safe, uneven surface to walk on.
2. Stand tall with your feet hip-distance apart, and brace your core.
3. Start to walk at a slow, comfortable pace.
4. Keep your gaze ahead rather than looking down at your feet.

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