TL;DR
Get everyday helpers 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 of 24 healthy young adults found that a 10-minute session of very slow jogging was followed by improved mood and better performance on a test of executive function. The findings are immediate, short-term results from a small study, not evidence that slow jogging produces lasting mental-health benefits or works the same way for everyone.
A study from the University of Tsukuba found that 10 minutes of very slow jogging was followed by improved mood and stronger performance on a test of executive function among 24 healthy young adults. The small experiment offers evidence that light-intensity running may have immediate mental effects, but it does not establish lasting benefits or show that the results apply to older adults or the wider population.
The study, published in Imaging Neuroscience, compared two 10-minute sessions: sitting on a stationary treadmill and running at a very slow pace. Participants ran at about 3 to 6 kilometers per hour (roughly 1.9 to 3.7 miles per hour), an intensity reported as about 35% of their peak oxygen uptake. Researchers assessed mood and cognitive performance before and after each session and measured prefrontal-cortex activity using functional near-infrared spectroscopy.
After jogging, participants reported a more pleasant mood and did better on the Stroop test, which measures aspects of executive function, including attention and handling conflicting information. Researchers also recorded increased activity in parts of the prefrontal cortex associated with executive function and mood regulation. The sitting session did not produce comparable changes, according to the report. These measurements were taken around the exercise sessions; the report does not establish how long any changes lasted.
The pace is described as a conversational “smiling pace”: slow enough that a person can talk comfortably. The defining movement is still running, rather than walking, because both feet briefly leave the ground. The report stresses that this study does not suggest people should abandon walking, which is also associated with physical and mental-health benefits.
What a Short, Easy Run May Offer
The results are relevant to people who find conventional running intimidating or difficult to fit into a schedule. In this experiment, the reported changes followed 10 minutes of low-intensity movement, rather than a strenuous workout. That makes slow jogging a possible option for someone seeking a brief activity break, though the study does not show that it is more beneficial than walking in daily life.
The findings also add a question to research on exercise and the brain: whether the distinctive motion of running matters, beyond physical effort alone. The researchers measured head movement and found that participants with greater vertical movement tended to show larger mood improvements. That is an association in this study, not proof that bouncing causes a better mood or that a specific jogging technique will produce a mental-health effect.
For readers, the key point is narrow but useful: a short, gentle jog was followed by immediate changes in this small group. It is not evidence that slow jogging treats a mental-health condition, replaces clinical care, or provides the same result for every person.
slow jogging shoes for mental health
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
How the Study Tested Slow Jogging
The approach is often called “niko niko pace,” a Japanese expression meaning “smiling pace.” Japanese exercise physiologist Hiroaki Tanaka popularized the term for running slowly enough to maintain a comfortable conversation. At that pace, a brisk walker may move faster, even though the slow jog retains the airborne phase that distinguishes running from walking.
The University of Tsukuba experiment focused on whether running needed to be strenuous to produce measurable short-term changes. Its design compared each participant’s responses around a brief jogging session with responses around a seated session. The report identifies the participants as 24 healthy young adults, a limited group that cannot establish how the results apply to older people, people with health conditions, or people with different fitness levels.
The study also considered whether running mechanics could help explain the results. Sensors tracked vertical movement of the head, which was associated with the size of mood changes. The report says earlier animal research has raised a possible link between head acceleration and neurons involved in serotonin activity, but that explanation remains theoretical in humans.
“The goal isn’t speed, distance, competition, or calories burned.”
— Seniors Guide report
comfortable running shoes for slow jogs
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
What the Experiment Cannot Establish
The report describes a small experiment involving 24 healthy young adults, with outcomes measured immediately before and after short sessions. It does not say whether the mood and test-performance changes persisted, whether repeated slow jogging has cumulative effects, or whether the same response occurs in other age groups. The size and design of this study limit what can be concluded about everyday benefits.
Researchers also do not know why greater vertical head movement was associated with larger mood improvements. The proposed explanation involving brain mechanisms and serotonin is not confirmed in humans, and the association does not show that head movement caused the mood change. The supplied report does not provide enough detail to assess all study methods or determine whether the result has been replicated independently.
Nothing in the findings establishes slow jogging as a treatment for depression, anxiety, or other conditions. Nor does the study show that jogging is preferable to walking for an individual. Anyone making exercise decisions around a health condition should seek advice from a qualified health professional.
lightweight treadmill for slow jogging
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Further Research on Movement and Mood
The report says researchers plan to investigate the possible relationship between vertical head movement and mood further. That work would be needed to clarify whether the observed association reflects a meaningful mechanism or another factor linked to the exercise session.
Further studies would also need to test larger and more varied groups and track how long any changes last. Until more evidence is available, the current finding is best understood as an immediate response observed in a small group—not a promise of lasting cognitive or emotional improvement. The report gives no date for the next study or a further research milestone.
exercise mats for low-impact workouts
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, researchers observed more pleasant reported mood and improved Stroop-test performance after a 10-minute very slow jog. The study also recorded increased activity in areas of the prefrontal cortex associated with executive function and mood regulation.
How slow was the jogging?
Participants ran at about 3 to 6 kilometers per hour, or roughly 1.9 to 3.7 miles per hour. The report describes the pace as comfortable enough to talk while moving.
Does the study show slow jogging is better than walking?
No. It compared slow jogging with sitting on a stationary treadmill, not with walking. The report explicitly says the findings do not mean people should stop walking or replace walking with jogging.
Can slow jogging be considered a mental-health treatment?
The study does not establish slow jogging as a treatment for any condition. It measured short-term changes after exercise in a small group of healthy young adults; people making health or exercise decisions should consult a qualified professional.
How long did the reported effects last?
The supplied report describes measurements taken before and after the sessions but does not establish how long the changes lasted. Longer-term effects remain unclear.
Source: rss
Evergreen bestsellers Picks
bestsellers
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
