A new study published in the Psychological Science journal may make the strongest case yet for going for a walk outside. John Jonides, a professor from the University of Michigan, and Marc Berman, a University of Michigan graduate student, have found that going for a walk through nature can boost your brain power significantly.

For the study, Jonides and Berman tested the memory and attention of volunteers and then had them take a walk through either an urban area of Ann Arbor or through the nearby arboretum. When volunteers returned from their walks they were tested again in the same areas and those who had taken a walk through nature scored 20 percent better on their tests. The volunteers who walked in urban areas showed no improvement, leading Jonides and Berman to believe that the improved scores were not due to merely the act of walking and taking a break, but specifically to walking in nature. A lack of difference between the moods of volunteers before and after the walks also indicated that the improved scores were not linked to improved moods after the nature walks.

The researchers have a solid idea of why walking in nature makes all the difference and it’s enough to encourage you to tie on your own walking shoes when you’re feeling a little low on brainpower (you can read the details here) . Don’t despair, however, if you’re too far from nature to take a brain-boosting break during your work day, the study also found that looking at pictures of natures resulted in somewhat improved scores (whereas city pictures did not). So even browsing the “nature” category on Flickr for a few minutes might help you get back on track.

There really is no substitute for the real thing, though, and since June is Great Outdoors Month, schedule some time to get outside soon…your brain will thank you.

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