Spring is good for your brain, expert says

As the days grow longer and the flowers begin to bloom, springtime has more to offer than just fresh air. According to one Virginia Tech expert, it’s the perfect time to recharge your brain.

Benjamin Katz, associate professor in the Department of Human Development and Family Science at Virginia Tech, said activities like birdwatching, gardening, hiking, and many others can sharpen attention spans, improve memory, and support overall cognition.

Katz explains how different elements of spending time in nature affect brain health, and which activities may offer the greatest benefits.

How does spending time in nature affect cognition?

There are both direct and indirect ways that spending time in nature may impact cognitive functioning. For example, time spent outdoors often involves cardiovascular exercise (think a strenuous hike or swimming at the beach) and those activities are not only good for your heart, but also for your overall brain health and cognitive function. One interesting finding is that even outside of the activities we might engage in outdoors, there may be more direct benefits of being in nature.

Think of walking on a quiet path, surrounded only by green trees and the sounds of birds, and how that might make different demands of your attention relative to being in a busy city center – where you might need to keep an eye out for busy traffic or stay alert for noises that might signal some sort of caution, like a bell indicating that a bicycle is fast approaching. There is a growing body of research in this area, and while there are still some questions about the underlying mechanisms, it may be that natural settings have a restorative effect on attention and executive function.

Which aspects of being outdoors are most beneficial for the brain?

Physical activity, especially activities that get your heart pumping, like jogging, cycling, and swimming, is likely the very best activity for brain health at nearly any age. Part of this is because cardiovascular health, which includes things like your blood pressure, is very closely linked to brain health. That makes sense given that your brain needs blood for basic metabolism, so the efficiency and integrity of your vasculature (the body’s blood vessel network) is important. The fact that many outdoor activities, such as sports or birdwatching, also involve social interaction and cognitive engagement might also provide an additional positive effect on brain health. Finally, there is also some evidence that spending time in nature reduces stress, which can not only improve mood but also, especially over the long-term, help with brain health.

Does spring, with its warmer and longer days, influence the cognitive benefits of being in nature?

There is a limited amount of research that does suggest that wintertime, or especially cold or hot weather, may be associated with significant but small differences in both mood and cognition. Some of this does make intuitive sense – you may not be able to exercise or spend time with friends outside if the weather is very hot or cold, and having more daylight hours and better weather facilitates some of these positive activities.

How often or for how long should someone spend time outdoors to experience all of these benefits?

It seems like a couple of hours a week –  a bit less than 20 minutes a day – may be enough to have a positive impact on both health and cognitive function. If you're able to spend a good chunk of that time outside engaged in vigorous exercise, that is potentially even better.

About Katz

Ben Katz is associate professor of adult development and aging within the Department of Human Development and Family Science at Virginia Tech. His research focuses on interventions to improve executive function capacities, including non-invasive brain stimulation, cognitive training, and lifestyle change. 

Schedule an interview

To schedule an interview, contact Jenny Boone in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences at jennykb@vt.edu, 540-314-7207, or the Virginia Tech Media Relations at mediarelations@vt.edu.