A new study published in Imaging Neuroscience suggests that a ten-minute very slow jog can lift mood and sharpen focus. Led by Hideaki Soya, a professor emeritus at the Institute of Health and Sport Sciences at the University of Tsukuba, and Ryuta Kuwamizu, an assistant professor there, alongside Chorphaka Damrongthai and colleagues at the Soya Laboratory, the work examined how the gentlest form of running affects the brain and mood.
Humans have a long evolutionary history of running, a movement long linked with broad physical and mental health benefits. The prefrontal cortex, the region behind the forehead involved in complex thinking and emotional regulation, appears particularly responsive to aerobic activity.
Previous research has shown that different forms of activity can stimulate this brain region. For instance, a 2014 study found that even mild pedalling on a stationary bike can activate the prefrontal cortex and improve mental focus. A 2021 study extended that concept, reporting mood improvements and strong activation of the same brain areas after a ten-minute session of moderate-intensity running.
Yet moderate running can be physically taxing, which may be uncomfortable or stressful for older adults or those not regularly active. This prompted researchers to ask whether the benefits could be achieved at the very lowest end of the intensity spectrum—at a pace that could also be walked.
The team used tightly controlled laboratory conditions to test running at the bottom of the intensity range, with speeds that could double as walking. Their aim was to see if any brain and mood benefits persisted when exercise was minimal.
To assess mental performance, the researchers focused on executive function—the mental skills that help people sustain attention, manage time, and switch between tasks. They were also curious whether mechanical aspects unique to running, such as the vertical motion of the head with each step, might influence brain effects.
Twenty-four healthy young adults took part, each completing two sessions on different days. In one session they sat quietly on a treadmill for ten minutes as a resting control. In the other, they ran very slowly on the treadmill for ten minutes at a light intensity.
Running speeds were tailored to each participant’s fitness level: men averaged about 3.4 miles per hour, women about 2.4 miles per hour. The pace was comfortable enough to walk, but participants were instructed to maintain a running form with small steps.
Before and after each session, participants completed mood assessments measuring arousal and pleasure. They also undertook a computer-based Stroop test to gauge executive function, asking them to name the ink colour of colour words that sometimes contradicted the word itself.
Brain activity was monitored with functional near-infrared spectroscopy. To minimise interference from skin blood flow and heart rate changes associated with exercise, measurements were taken five minutes after the running session. In a separate two-minute run, a head sensor captured vertical head acceleration to record the rhythmic bouncing of steps.
The findings showed that the ten-minute slow run produced noticeable benefits compared with the resting condition. Participants reported feeling more energetic and experiencing a more pleasant mood after the gentle jog.
Notably, the researchers observed a pronounced increase in pleasant mood, suggesting that slow running may be particularly effective at improving how people feel. The researchers also noted an improvement in Stroop performance, with quicker responses to conflicting colour words indicating a temporary boost to executive function and focus.
Brain imaging supported these behavioural changes. Following the slow run, increased blood oxygenation level-dependent signals were observed in specific left-sided regions of the prefrontal cortex during the Stroop task. The areas identified—the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and the frontopolar area—are known to be involved in overriding impulses and handling complex tasks.
The head-acceleration data revealed an intriguing pattern: the amount of vertical bouncing during running correlated with the magnitude of mood improvement. This provided evidence that the rhythmic up-and-down motion of running might contribute to the mood benefits, not merely the act of movement.
Practically, the study suggests that very light, walking-compatible running can yield measurable brain and mood benefits without imposing substantial physical strain. “If you have avoided running because it seems too demanding, slow running may offer a very accessible way to begin,” the researchers said, emphasising that their finding concerns the floor, not the ceiling, of potential benefits.
They cautioned against interpreting the results as slow running being superior to more intense exercise. The researchers stressed that brisk or vigorous running remains a valuable form of exercise for body and brain, and that slow running simply demonstrates benefits at the lowest intensity.
Limitations include the small sample of healthy young adults, raising questions about how the effects might translate to older individuals or those with health conditions. The study did not include a walking comparison at the same speed, making it harder to fully separate the effects of running from upright activity. Additionally, the imaging method used lacked short-separation channels to filter superficial scalp signals, though the researchers attempted to mitigate this with timing and analysis.
The team plans to extend the work to populations who might gain most from slow running—including older adults, those with low fitness, and individuals with depressive symptoms—and to clarify the neural mechanisms involved, including possible engagement of catecholaminergic systems related to arousal and dopamine and noradrenaline pathways.
“Our long-term goal is to establish slow running as an evidence-based, easily accessible daily habit for maintaining mental and cognitive health across the lifespan,” they explained.
“Running is one of the most fundamental human movements, yet many people feel that it is not for them,” Soya and Kuwamizu added. “We are beginning to think that slow running may be more than simply running slowly. It may be a form of locomotion in which we move slowly while preserving the gentle, rhythmic vertical oscillation characteristic of running—and enjoy the pleasant ‘vertical groove’ created by that rhythm.”
The study was authored by Chorphaka Damrongthai, Ryuta Kuwamizu, Yudai Yamazaki, Naoki Aoike, Dongmin Lee, Kyeongho Byun, Ferenc Torma, Kazuki Hyodo, Worachat Churdchomjan, Michael A. Yassa, Kazutaka Adachi, and Hideaki Soya.
