See, I Really Am Smarter than a Fifth Grader!

I read this article recently, talking about a recent study which shows that exercise (in this case brisk walking) helped to increase the brain function among those with memory problems. Apparently, there has been some anecdotal evidence of the positive effects of physical activity on mental ability, but this is the first study showing some actual (if small) results.

I, for one, am not surprised at the findings. The time I spend walking is some of the most mentally productive of my entire day. I often find myself, while I walk, doing things like working through a problem, planning out my day, or thinking about ways to approach a project at work. Many times, by the end of my walk, I've found a solution to a difficult issue or thought of a new idea that hadn't occurred to me before. So this study proves what I've long suspected: that exercise actually enhances mental functioning. In other words, engaging in physical activity really can make me more smarter. ;-) I didn't need to spend all that time going to class. Instead, I should have simply walked more!

Okay, maybe that's taking it a little too far. It does give me one more thing to add to the list of the many benefits of walking., though. But I bet all of you who walk already knew that, right?