Think about how you interact with a puzzle. Your brain studies the pieces and tries to make decisions before your hands even move to touch them. Or maybe you prefer to handle the pieces and move them based on feel before deciding where they might fit together. No matter how you strategize, puzzles are an example of the body and mind actively working together to participate in an activity. Even walking demonstrates the connection between movement and your mind- you study the ground in front of you, walk at a set pace, maybe swing your arms, and decide a route to take [5]. While you may not be aware of all of these things, your brain is taking note of them. Information is constantly being exchanged from the body to the mind and vice versa [5]. Everything we do stimulates the body and mind, just to a different degree [5]. We have talked about cognitive engagement and physical activity before as two separate ideas while the reality is that they go hand in hand.
Physical activity helps us interact with the world. Even as babies, we tend to move and seek out new sensations through reaching, throwing, grasping, and putting just about everything in our mouths [1]. Kids constantly ignore instructions not to touch various items because they are curious. There is a difference between the experience of simply looking at an object versus holding it in your hand [1]. We learn through touch and motion, or physically interacting with the world [1, 5]. As we get older, we tend to lose sight of this connection. Movement seems to become an inconvenience, something that just happens to get us from one place to another, or a commitment born from paying for that gym membership. Physical activity should not be this way though. It should be an opportunity for us to reconnect our mind with our body and appreciate the great things they both can accomplish [5].
We already know that moderate to vigorous physical activity can help lower the risk of developing dementia [7]. If you are predetermined to be at high risk for developing dementia because of your genetics or other factors, physical activity can help delay the onset of dementia, so you are older before you start to show symptoms [7]. We know that movement is good for us, yet we tend to not prioritize it. Usually, the truth is that we approach physical activity as a chore. I myself am guilty of going to the gym, hopping on the treadmill, and zoning out for 45 minutes before calling it a night. Sure, walking is good for my body but there has to be more I can do for my brain than just watching the gym TVs advertise cheeseburgers while I move…
The solution lies beyond the gym walls. One study found that people who spent more time outside showed an increase in gray brain matter over 6 to 8 months [5]. Gray matter has a high concentration of neurons, which is how your brain learns, stores memories, and so on [6]. This research shows that by spending time outside in a “green” area, your brain is taking in the environment and processing all of the stimuli [5]. By taking your workout outside, you are giving your brain the chance to take in new information while you move your body [4, 5]. It is a win for everyone!
One of the ways to start challenging yourself to exercise outside is by exploring hiking trails [5]. Hiking is considered one of the most approachable methods to doing physical activity outside because you can choose the intensity and distance of your adventure. By hiking instead of just walking, you add more stimuli for your brain to process because the ground is varying in height, texture, and depth [5]. There are simple trails for beginners or people who just want to get out of the house for a while but also very difficult paths for those who want to really make themselves work. People who hike tend to report that they have better mental health and use it as a form of stress reduction [4, 5]. The distance of a hike can also be used as time for personal reflection or problem solving- much like people who claim to use running to clear their head [4, 5]! Another great thing about hiking is that you can do it alone or with big and small groups.
I would highly recommend giving hiking a solid effort. Emporia has a lot of local trails for walking or hiking, but one of my favorites is Cottonwood Falls, also known as Chase County Falls or Chase Lake Falls. It is about 30 minutes out of town but offers a very straightforward 0.8-mile trail that leads to a wonderful display of small waterfalls- something you do not get to see in Kansas very often [2]! During the hot months, lots of kids and adults can be seen splashing in the Falls to cool off. How tall the water is depending on the recent rainfall, but it is usually highest in early spring to late summer, and usually does not get too high but always be careful when water is involved as the rocks are slippery [2]. The falls also empty into a small river so there is a current to look out for so that small kids do not get knocked down.
My friends and I like to visit the Falls during stressful exam times or for day trips. We usually pack a cooler with lunches, hike the short trail, and set up for a picnic by the river. It makes a great trip, and we usually end up connecting with a few people along the way. The fishing lake is also in this area if you wanted to take advantage of that as well! Cottonwood Falls serves as a great local resource to get out of the house and explore what Kansas has to offer. Go alone or take your family or friends along for a quick hike away from the city!
Directions to Cottonwood Falls [3]:
Chase State Fishing Lake and Wildlife Area is 1.5 miles west of Cottonwood Falls in the center of the scenic Flint Hills region of Kansas. The 109-acre lake was constructed in 1964. The lake and surrounding 383-acre wildlife area are owned and managed by the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks.
To reach the Chase Lake Waterfalls, turn west on Main Street in Cottonwood Falls (first street south of the K-177 bridge over the Cottonwood River. Drive west 1.5 miles until you see the entrance to Chase State Fishing Lake and Wildlife Area on your left. Follow the gravel road .3 miles to the dam on the north side of Chase Fishing Lake. Park along the road and walk east the length of the dam. Turn left and follow the rough trail along the shallow spillway from the lake.
Here is a resource that offers a map and reviews from past visitors [2]: https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/kansas/chase-falls-trail?u=m
Sources
[1]. Adkins A, Sewell D, Cleveland J. The Development of Tactile Skills. Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired. 2016. Accessed July 12, 2022. https://www.tsbvi.edu/tx-senseabilities/issues/fall-winter-2016/the-development-of-tactile-skills.
[2]. Chase Falls Trail. AllTrails. 2022. Accessed July 12, 2022. https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/kansas/chase-falls-trail?u=m.
[3]. Chase Lake Falls. KansasTravel.org. 2021. Accessed July 12, 2022. http://www.kansastravel.org/chaselakefalls.htm.
[4]. Hill-Patterson, T. Fisher Center for Alzheimer’s Research Foundation: A Walk in the Park. February 25, 2011. https://www.alzinfo.org/articles/walking/. Accessed July 11, 2022.
[5]. Kempermann G. Embodied Prevention. Front Psychol. 2022;13:841393. Published 2022 Mar 4. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2022.841393. Accessed July 12, 2022.
[6]. Mercadante A, Prasanna T. Neuroanatomy, Gray Matter. National Center for Biotechnology Information. January 2022. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK553239/#:~:text=%5B1%5D%20Grey%20matter%20makes%20up,concentration%20of%20neuronal%20cell%20bodies. Accessed July 12, 2022.
[7]. Wang S, Liu H-Y, Cheng Y-C, Su C-H. Exercise Dosage in Reducing the Risk of Dementia Development: Mode, Duration, and Intensity—A Narrative Review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2021; 18(24):13331. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182413331. Accessed July 11, 2022.