Run 10 Minutes for a Brain Boost
![Person running for brain health](http://cdn1.locable.com/uploads/resource/file/897157/fill/800x0/running-brain.jpg?timestamp=1725760555)
Ijupco Smokovski/AdobeStock.com
Exercise is used by people of all ages to elevate a sluggish mood, and new research shows that a mere 10 minutes of moderate-intensity running also boosts cognitive function. In tests with 26 subjects, researchers from the University of Tsukuba, in Japan, found that a short burst of running improved the set of cognitive processes involved in planning, organizing and self-control by increasing blood flow to the bilateral prefrontal cortex. “Given that running is a whole-body locomotive exercise, it may confer more mental health benefits compared to other forms of exercise such as cycling,” says study author Hideaki Soya, Ph.D.