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Slow 10-Minute Run May Lift Mood and Sharpen Focus, Study Finds
ReSlow 10-Minute Run May Lift Mood and Sharpen Focus, Study Finds
A small University of Tsukuba study found that a slow 10-minute jog improved attention and mood in 24 young adults, with brain scans showing increased prefrontal cortex activity. Experts caution the effect is temporary and not a substitute for medical care.
A slow, easy 10-minute jog may be enough to lift mood and sharpen attention, according to a small new study from the University of Tsukuba in Japan. The research, published in the journal Imaging Neuroscience in August, found that healthy young adults performed better on tests of attention and self-control and reported feeling more alert and pleasant after a brief, low-intensity run compared with a period of rest.
The study involved 24 healthy young adults who completed a slow 10-minute run on a treadmill in one session and rested in another. The jog was deliberately kept easy, with speeds ranging from 1.9 to 3.7 mph and average heart rates of 105 to 107 beats per minute. After the jog, participants showed faster performance on a test of attention and self-control and reported improved mood relative to the resting condition.
Brain monitoring conducted after the jog revealed increased activity in parts of the prefrontal cortex, the brain region responsible for focus and decision-making. The researchers wrote that «a single bout of running, even at very slow speed, elicits a pleasant mood and improved executive function,» adding that the finding «sheds light on the slow running benefits to brain health.» The benefits persisted even after participants' heart rates returned to baseline, according to the study.
An exploratory finding suggested that greater up-and-down head movement during the jog was associated with a more positive mood afterward, though the researchers noted this does not necessarily prove cause and effect. The study was limited by its small sample of 24 healthy, young adults and by measuring outcomes immediately after just one exercise session.
Dr. John La Puma, a California-based internist and author of «Indoor Epidemic,» who was not involved in the study, explained the mechanism: «Easy movement triggers the norepinephrine and dopamine pathways that wake up the part of the brain that is in charge of focus and self-control.» He suggested a practical approach: take a 10-minute walk outside before the most mentally demanding part of the day, adding 30-second jogging intervals at a pace easy enough to speak in full sentences without becoming breathless.
Dr. Scott Nass, a California-based family medicine physician at SwiftCareMD, who also was not involved in the research, said a brief jog «should help someone get some energy in their system, which may make them feel better about themselves mentally and help them focus.» But he cautioned that the effect is likely temporary. For people living with depression or anxiety, a jog may briefly clear the mind but is «no substitute for medical care,» he said.
Nass also noted that the findings cannot be assumed to apply to older adults, novice runners or people with health conditions, and that larger studies are needed to confirm the results. La Puma advised that people with heart disease, high blood pressure, Type 1 diabetes, recent surgery or joint pain should check with a clinician before starting a new routine.
The study adds to a growing body of research on the mental health benefits of even very short bouts of exercise. While the mood and attention boost appears real, experts agree it is not a cure-all and should be part of a broader approach to well-being.
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