步行能讓大腦年輕至少4歲

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By Korin Miller 

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賓州大學研究證實：步行能讓大腦年輕至少4歲！還能促進骨密度、心臟健康By Gigi Chang, 

這對我們的大腦認知健康有立竿見影的好處！多年來，醫學界一直強調，保持活躍有助於讓你更健康、更快樂。但最新的研究顯示，即使是規律地走路或做家務這些日常活動，也對讓我們的身體和大腦保持年輕有幫助。

這是賓州州立大學一項新研究的主要發現，該研究針對日常身體活動對健康的影響進行探討。但走路如何減緩老化？又該如何在日常生活中增加步數？以下是你需要知道的重點。這項研究發現了什麼？

這項研究發表於2024年10月的《行為醫學年鑑》（Annals of Behavioral Medicine）中，研究人員讓204名參與者每天在手機上回答一些問題。在為期九天的研究期間，受試者每天會接受檢測六次，大約每3.5小時一次。在每次報告中，參與者會回報研究人員他們在上次報告後是否有進行身體活動，並將運動分為輕度、中度或高強度。（步行是 「輕度 」活動，而健行則屬於 「劇烈 」活動）。接著，受試者會進行兩種腦力遊戲，以測試他們的認知處理速度和工作記憶。研究人員發現，如果人們在過去的3.5小時內有進行任何身體活動（即使只是輕度的），他們的大腦處理速度表現與年輕4歲的人相當。

步行能延緩認知退化嗎？

走路究竟是否能減緩大腦衰退還很難下定論，因為這只是其中一項研究。不過，這項研究結果顯示，任何類型的運動——包括步行，都可能定期為大腦帶來益處，進而有助於保持年輕。研究人員在報告中指出：「我們的研究結果表明，參與任何強度的日常身體活動可能對認知健康有短期、即時的益處，這也為未來的干預策略提供了新的潛在方向。」

賓州州立大學及賓州州立醫學院的神經學與心理學助理教授Jonathan Hakun博士表示：「像走路這樣的日常活動，可能會對我們的認知健康有直接影響。」

步行對健康有哪些好處？步行能帶來一連串的健康益處。走路不僅是心肺耐力運動，同時也是負重運動，有助於促進骨密度和身體活動力。最重要的是這項運動對大多數人都很友善。

研究也發現，走路不只可以改善情緒，還有助於維持心臟健康，並降低罹患糖尿病的風險。甚至有研究指出，走路還可能讓你變得更長壽！如何在日常生活中增加步行時間？

想在日常中增加步行量，最簡單的方法就是有目的性的去增加自己的每日行走步數。當然你不需要一次就設定一個很大的目標。只要在有機會時多動一點，像是走樓梯取代電梯、步行去朋友家而不是開車或是騎車等都是很好的做法。你甚至可以選擇在早上或晚上散步，為自己增加一些步數。

最後也最重要的是，盡力而為就好。畢竟就如同這項研究所指出的—任何形式的活動對你的大腦都有好處！

A University of Pennsylvania study confirms that walking can make your brain at least 4 years younger! It can also promote bone density and heart health. 

By Gigi Chang, original author: Korin Miller, published: 2026/10/01

This has immediate benefits for our cognitive health! For years, the medical community has emphasized that staying active helps you be healthier and happier. But the latest research shows that even everyday activities like walking or doing housework can help keep our bodies and brains young.

This is the main finding of a new study from Penn State University that explores the impact of daily physical activity on health. But how does walking slow down aging? And how can you increase your step count in daily life? Here are the key points you need to know. What did this study find?

Published in the October 2024 issue of the *Annals of Behavioral Medicine*, the study involved 204 participants answering questions on their phones daily. During the nine-day study, participants were tested six times a day, approximately every 3.5 hours. In each report, participants informed researchers whether they had engaged in physical activity since their last report, categorizing the activity as light, moderate, or vigorous. (Walking was considered "light," while hiking was "vigorous"). Next, participants took two mental games to test their cognitive processing speed and working memory. Researchers found that if people had engaged in any physical activity (even light) within the past 3.5 hours, their brain processing speed was comparable to that of someone four years younger.

Can Walking Slow Cognitive Decline?

Whether walking can slow brain decline is still inconclusive, as this is only one study. However, the results suggest that any type of exercise—including walking—may regularly provide benefits to the brain, potentially helping to maintain youthfulness. "Our findings suggest that engaging in daily physical activity of any intensity may have short-term, immediate benefits for cognitive health, providing new potential directions for future intervention strategies," researchers stated in their report.

Dr. Jonathan Hakun, Assistant Professor of Neurology and Psychology at Penn State University and Penn State College of Medicine, said, "Daily activities like walking may have a direct impact on our cognitive health."

What are the health benefits of walking? Walking offers a range of health benefits. It's not only a cardio-endurance exercise but also a weight-bearing exercise, helping to promote bone density and physical activity. Most importantly, it's a friendly exercise for most people.

Studies have also found that walking can improve mood, help maintain heart health, and reduce the risk of diabetes. Some studies even suggest that walking may help you live longer! How to increase walking time in daily life?

The simplest way to increase your daily walking volume is to purposefully increase your daily step count. Of course, you don't need to set a huge goal all at once. Just move around more whenever you have the opportunity, such as taking the stairs instead of the elevator, walking to a friend's house instead of driving or cycling, etc. These are all good practices. You can even choose to take a walk in the morning or evening to increase your step count.

Last and most importantly, just do your best. After all, as this study points out—any form of activity is good for your brain!