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Key Points![\"Caret](\"https:\/\/www.runnersworld.com\/_assets\/design-tokens\/fre\/static\/icons\/caret-right-regular.a6ec664.svg\"){kind=icon}
Researchers discovered that just 10 minutes of very slow running significantly improved mood and brain function, challenging the belief that running must be intense gain benefits.Experts point to possible mechanisms for the advantages running has over walking, plus other payoffs you gain from slowing down. <\/p>\n
If you consider yourself more of a tortoise than a hare, you might believe you have to put in more running time or increase your pace<\/a> to see tangible benefits. Well, A new study in Imaging Neuroscience<\/a> found that just 10 minutes of very slow running can lead to improvements in mood and executive function in the Researchers recruited 24 healthy participants and had them complete both a 10-minute running session on a treadmill, done at 35 percent of VO2 max<\/a> (a very light effort), and a resting control session. Researchers determined executive function and mood using established research tools for each, which they tested before and after both running and resting.<\/p>\n Researchers did not define \u201cslow\u201d as one fixed pace for everyone\u2014instead, they determined it based on each participant\u2019s aerobic capacity, so actual treadmill speed Even at a pace that was nearly the same as a brisk walk<\/a>, there were significant benefits in terms of pleasurable feelings and sharpened brain function, he told Runner\u2019s World.<\/p>\n \u201cAt the simplest level, the main message is that running does not have to be fast or These results are in line with previous research done by Soya and his colleagues. For Although the recent and previous studies are limited due to the small number of How Running Boosts the Brain and Benefits Different Populations<\/p>\n The mechanism, even in very slow running, may be related in part to the way light aerobic exercise has a rhythmic, bouncing quality compared to an activity like \u201cSimply put, slow running may \u2018wake up\u2019 the brain through this type of motion,\u201d Although Soya noted that we need more research, particularly with a larger participant group, these findings on very slow running should be heartening for those who prefer less intensity but still enjoy running\u2014or for those who want to start but are nervous that they aren\u2019t \u201cfast enough\u201d to see benefits.<\/p>\n \u201cFor people with low fitness, older adults, people for whom conventional running is Even for runners who are used to a more moderate or vigorous pace, adding slow running sessions<\/a> into a schedule can be helpful, according to Jill Becker, RRCA-certified running coach and personal trainer at Life Time in Denver, Colorado. At a very slow pace, your heart rate stays lower, which reduces strain and lowers injury Over time, varying your speed and downshifting to a pace that leads to an easier perceived effort can help you run longer<\/a> distances and make recovery quicker, especially if you run frequently.<\/p>\n \u201cA slower-paced run will make your \u2018engine\u2019 stronger and help you be able to run Elizabeth Millard is a freelance writer focusing on health, wellness, fitness, and food.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Key PointsResearchers discovered that just 10 minutes of very slow running significantly improved mood and brain function, challenging…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":623344,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[499,177730,103,61,60,63827],"class_list":["post-623343","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-fitness","tag-fitness","tag-fitr","tag-health","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-lifeservice"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/623343","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=623343"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/623343\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/623344"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=623343"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=623343"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=623343"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
new research suggests otherwise.<\/p>\n
brain.<\/p>\n
differed from one person to the next. However, all those paces did fall into the \u201cvery light intensity\u201d category, according to study lead author Hideaki Soya<\/a>, PhD, at the Laboratory of Exercise Biochemistry and Neuroendocrinology at the University of Tsukuba in Japan.<\/p>\n
hard to benefit the brain,\u201d he said. \u201cEven at the gentlest running intensity<\/a> possible, there was greater activation in prefrontal regions of the brain that regulate emotion and mental skills.\u201d<\/p>\n
example, a 2021 study in Scientific Reports<\/a> found that 10 minutes of moderate-intensity running\u2014done at 50 percent of VO2 max (around zone 2<\/a>)\u2014led to a considerable boost in executive function and mood regulation.<\/p>\n
participants, other research has suggested there\u2019s a connection between running
and mental health. For example, a research review published in the International
Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health<\/a> in 2020, which included 116 studies, found that both short-term and long-term running are associated with improvements in a range of mental health outcomes, including depression and anxiety.<\/p>\n
walking, said Soya. Specifically, the type of head movement involved seems to
make a difference for brain activation, including mood effects, he added.<\/p>\n
Soya said. \u201cDuring running, both feet leave the ground briefly, so the
entire body\u2014all the way up to the head\u2014undergoes a rhythmic vertical
acceleration. In our data, this rhythm was positively correlated with the
increase in pleasure.\u201d<\/p>\n
difficult, or for people who simply dislike hard exercise, this research shows that the mechanics and rhythm of running itself add something unique to the brain, even at very slow speeds,\u201d he said. \u201cThis is great news for people who have avoided running simply because the activity feels too demanding.\u201d<\/p>\n
risk, she told Runner\u2019s World.<\/p>\n
faster at a lower heart rate<\/a>, because you’re creating more efficiency,\u201d she said. \u201cEasy, slow days help build your running economy<\/a> and make you better at running with less effort.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"Headshot](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/13f63123-214e-40fb-b2e7-2dfaa95b4028_1581450661.file.png\" "\\"Headshot")
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