Walking: Professor Shane O'Mara

Published: Dec. 19, 2019, 4 a.m.

How walking more will boost your brain, body and creativity with professor Shane O'Mara. Most of us do it - but almost all of us don’t do it enough. Yes, we're talking about walking. It's hardly news that we are, as a species, too sedentary, and the fact is that we were not designed to spend as much time as we do sitting or slouching around. Walking is what we are designed to do, and our ability to walk long distances helped humans become the dominant species on earth. It helps to protect and repair organs, aids digestion and can turn back the ageing of our brains. Not only that but it's simple and it's good for us - so why aren't we doing it enough? Neuroscientist Shane O’Mara is on a one-man mission to convince us to up our step count. He says that doing so will benefit our muscles, brains and waistline, that our mood will improve and our stress levels will fall - and walking has also been scientifically proven to aid creativity. So if you’re stuck on a problem, going for a brisk walk could well help you on your way to solving your conundrum. So with Christmas just a few days away, there is no better time to get in a few long walks amongst all the mince pies and the parties, and start to develop it as a habit in 2020 - one that will make a real difference.