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This is the best exercise for your brain - according to science

Jogging bores were right all along, it seems – going for a run DOES clear your head, and there’s solid science behind it.

But if you can’t manage to work up the energy for a jog, a regular, brisk walk could offer a similar beneficial impact on your brain – just as long as you keep it up.

Harvard Medical School’s blog Mind and Mood says, ‘Aerobic exercise is the key for your head, just as it is for your heart,’ – pointing to two recent studies which suggest that aerobic exercise is good for the brain.

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The scientists suggest that to really reap the benefits, you need to keep at it – regularly and consistently exercising for at least 45 minutes at a time.

As well as lifting mood, researchers have said that there’s a ‘robust’ link between aerobic exercise and feelings of clarity – and there might be a good reason behind it.

Aerobic exercise can actually trigger growth of new brain cells in the hippocampus – an area of the brain associated with memory.

Karen Postal, President of the American Academy of Clinical Neuropsychology said, ‘If you are exercising so that you sweat – about 30 to 40 minutes – new brain cells are being born. And it just happens to be in that memory area.’

Scans of runner’s brains also show increased activity in the brain’s frontal lobe after running.

After a vigorous aerobic workout, more blood flows to this region – an area associated with planning and clear thinking, Postal told NY Mag.