Do you want to positively improve your well-being and brain structure? Then just spend more time out doors. Take your dog for a walk, or just have a picnic outside.
A recent study shows that spending time outdoors improves the gray matter in an area of our brain. This area is called the right dorsolateral-prefrontal cortex. This area is related to taking and regulating our actions. In addition, the loss of gray matter in this area of our brain is associated with many psychiatric disorders.
More Gray Matter in Your Brain
In short, spending time outdoors can improve your mood, memory, concentration and entire psyche. Your brain also develops more gray matter. You may also be lowering your risk of being affected by a psychiatric disorder. More gray matter is a good thing.
The recent findings were by researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development. They took magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brains of six healthy, middle-aged city dwellers over a period of six months. The participants reported on their activities before the MRI imaging, such as time spend outdoors, caffeinated beverages consumed and their physical activities.
The MRI scans showed that the more time the participants spent outdoors, the more gray matter were detected in the right dorsolateral-prefrontal cortex of their brains.
Make Sure Your Family Get Outdoors More
This study has several implications. If you’re spending too much time indoors, you may not be letting your brain get the “fresh air” that it needs outdoors. People in the cities are prone to spending less time outdoors. Also, does staying indoors too much increase the risk of psychiatric disorders?
The results of the study was published in the July 7, 2021 edition of the journal The World Journal of Biological Psychiatry.
So make sure to get your family a good amount of time outdoors. Take a walk, take a hike or just sit in the park. You’ll be in a better mood and your brain will thank you.
SUMMARY: Just spending more outdoors improves your mood, memory, concentration and the gray matter in your brain. Being outdoors is great for your brain.
Journal source: The World Journal of Biological Psychiatry
Spend time outdoors for your brain – an in-depth longitudinal MRI study
