TL;DR
Get self-care and calm essentials delivered free — and shop member deals
- Fast, free delivery on millions of items
- Access to Prime Big Deal Days deals on October 6–7
- Prime Video, Amazon Music and more included
A University of Tsukuba study reported that 10 minutes of very slow jogging was followed by improved mood, better Stroop-test performance and increased prefrontal-cortex activity in 24 healthy young adults. The short experiment does not establish long-term benefits or show that slow jogging works the same way for other groups.
A University of Tsukuba study found that 10 minutes of very slow jogging was followed by a more pleasant mood and improved performance on a test of executive function among 24 healthy young adults. Published in Imaging Neuroscience, the small experiment suggests gentle running may have immediate mental effects, but it does not establish lasting benefits or show that the results apply to older adults or people with health conditions.
Participants completed two 10-minute sessions: one sitting on a stationary treadmill and another running at an extremely slow pace. Researchers measured mood and cognitive performance before and after each session, and used functional near-infrared spectroscopy to track activity in the prefrontal cortex, a brain region associated with executive function and mood regulation. The sitting session did not produce comparable changes, according to the report.
The jogging pace was about 3 to 6 kilometers per hour (roughly 1.9 to 3.7 miles per hour), with exercise intensity reported at about 35% of participants’ peak oxygen uptake. After jogging, participants reported improved mood and performed better on a Stroop test, which measures skills such as attention and handling conflicting information. Researchers also recorded increased prefrontal-cortex activity.
The experiment compared a brief jogging session with sitting; it did not test a long-term exercise program. The report describes the findings as immediate responses after exercise. They are not evidence that 10 minutes of slow jogging will reliably improve mood or cognition for everyone, or that it can replace other forms of physical activity.
A Short, Low-Intensity Mental Break
The results may interest people who find conventional running strenuous or unappealing. The tested pace was very light and could be slower than a brisk walker’s pace, offering a possible way to try running without aiming for speed, distance or competition. The experiment also focused on a brief activity, rather than requiring a lengthy workout.
That practical appeal should be weighed against the study’s limits: it involved just 24 healthy young adults and measured changes immediately after a single session. It cannot establish whether the effects last, accumulate with repeated sessions or occur in older people. Slow jogging may be an accessible option for some, but the research does not prove it is superior to walking or other movement.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
How Researchers Tested Slow Jogging
Slow jogging is associated with the Japanese exercise physiologist Hiroaki Tanaka and the phrase “niko niko pace,” translated in the report as “smiling pace.” It describes moving slowly enough to talk comfortably. The defining motion remains running: unlike walking, running includes a brief moment when both feet are off the ground.
The study examined whether running must be strenuous to produce measurable short-term changes. It also recorded the rhythmic vertical movement of participants’ heads. Those with greater head movement tended to show larger mood improvements, but the report says the reason is not known. Earlier animal research has suggested a possible connection between head movement and neurons involved in serotonin activity; that remains a theoretical explanation in humans, not a demonstrated mechanism.
The report notes that existing research links physical activity, including walking, with physical and mental health. The Tsukuba experiment does not suggest people should stop walking. Instead, it asks whether the distinct movement of running, even at a gentle pace, may produce different immediate responses.
“A brief, slow run might help before a presentation or another mentally demanding task.”
— Hideaki Soya, study supervisor, as reported by Seniors Guide
comfortable running shoes for light jogging
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Limits of the Short Experiment
The report does not specify the study’s publication date, and it provides no detailed follow-up showing how long the mood or cognitive changes lasted. The experiment involved only 24 healthy young adults, so it cannot establish whether older adults, people with chronic conditions or less physically active participants would respond similarly.
It is also unclear what caused the observed changes. Greater vertical head movement was associated with larger mood improvements, but that association does not show that the movement caused the change. The proposed serotonin-related explanation comes from earlier animal research and remains unconfirmed in humans. The source does not report whether repeated sessions produce lasting effects or compare slow jogging with walking in this experiment.
minimalist running shoes for slow pace
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Further Research on Running Motion
The report says researchers plan to investigate the possible relationship between running’s vertical movement and mood further. That work would be needed to test whether head movement helps explain the results, rather than merely occurring alongside them.
Longer studies and research involving broader groups would also be needed to establish whether the immediate changes persist or apply beyond healthy young adults. For now, the reported finding is limited to responses measured after one 10-minute session; the study does not provide a tested prescription for how often or how long people should slow-jog.
lightweight treadmill for slow jogging
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Key Questions
What did the slow-jogging study find?
In 24 healthy young adults, a 10-minute slow jog was followed by improved self-reported mood, better Stroop-test performance and increased activity in parts of the prefrontal cortex. The study measured immediate responses after exercise.
How slow was the jogging pace?
Participants ran at about 3 to 6 kilometers per hour, or roughly 1.9 to 3.7 miles per hour. The report describes the effort as very light.
Does the study show slow jogging is better than walking?
No. The experiment compared slow jogging with sitting, not with walking. The report says walking remains a form of physical activity associated with health benefits; the study does not show that people should replace it with jogging.
Are the mood and thinking benefits proven to last?
No. The reported changes were measured immediately after a single session. The source material does not establish how long they last or whether repeated slow jogging has lasting effects.
Why might running affect mood differently from walking?
Researchers noted that running creates more rhythmic vertical movement of the body and head than walking. Participants with greater head movement tended to report larger mood improvements, but the cause is unknown and the proposed brain mechanism has not been confirmed in humans.
Source: rss
Halloween Picks
halloween
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
