At 75, Rebecca Ocansey starts and ends her day the same way — on her feet. The retired athlete walks twice daily, barefoot, and credits the habit with keeping her energetic years after surviving a mild stroke.

Across town in Kumasi, 60-year-old Francis Opoku, a former body builder, deliberately gets off public transport two kilometres from home each evening, choosing to walk rather than sit after long hours minding his shop in the Central Business District.

For Rebecca Ocansey, the lesson was learned long ago. Two gentle walks a day, bare feet on the ground, and a 75-year-old body that still wants to move. The science, it turns out, is firmly on her side.

These are not unusual stories. Scientists say people like Ocansey and Opoku are, quite literally, building better brains — and bodies — one step at a time.

Four Brain Regions, One Simple Act

Walking may look effortless, but it is one of the most neurologically demanding activities a person can perform, according to Dr. Thomas Amatey Tagoe, a neuroscientist and Senior Lecturer at the University of Ghana.

“Something as simple as walking — I have like four main areas of the brain that are required for you to walk,” Dr. Tagoe told The Chronicle.

The first area decides which muscles to move; the second initiates the movement; the third provides feedback confirming that the body is doing what was planned; and the fourth manages spatial awareness — mapping the route, scanning the environment, deciding where to step.

“The more parts of the brain you have involved in doing something, the better for your brain altogether,” he explained.
As these regions communicate during walking, increased blood flow and oxygen rush to serve them.

The result is a brain that is better nourished and more alert — much like how muscles visibly fill with blood during heavy labour.Memory, Creativity and the Einstein Connection

Dr. Tagoe says regular walking measurably improves memory, concentration and creative thinking. His explanation draws on a well-known peculiarity of Einstein’s brain: post-mortem scans revealed it was more richly interconnected than the average person’s. Walking, he argues, produces a similar effect.

“Because these four areas, when we are walking, they are constantly needing to talk to each other, it then helps cognition, it helps memory — and I’m sure most of your readers will agree that sometimes it’s just good to go and walk if you need to think. As you are walking, the thinking seems to flow a little bit easier.”

The brain region most associated with memory and spatial navigation — the hippocampus — is one of the very few areas in the adult brain capable of generating new cells. Walking, Dr. Tagoe notes, directly stimulates this region.

Start Them Young

The same principles apply — perhaps even more critically — to children and young people, Dr. Tagoe says. Because a young person’s brain is still developing, the window for building strong neural foundations is especially important.

When children walk regularly, those four brain regions get into the habit of communicating with each other early. They build connections, generate new cells and release positive chemicals during the very period when the brain is most receptive to growth.

“If you have young people whose brain is now developing, and it gets into the habit of these four areas talking to each other, it gets into the habit of strengthening connections, it develops new cells, it is able to release all these positive chemicals — then this young person is developing with a brain that is constantly doing something, getting communicated and being able to grow much better,” Dr. Tagoe explained.

He contrasted this with children who are physically inactive. A child who does not walk much, does not explore places, and does not engage those four brain regions will simply not develop as well neurologically. For parents and schools, the implication is clear: encouraging children to walk is not just good for their fitness — it is an investment in the quality of their developing minds.

The Feel-Good Chemistry

Exercise triggers the release of several mood-regulating chemicals, and walking is no exception. Dr. Tagoe identifies three key ones: dopamine, widely known as the “feel-good hormone”; endorphins, which are released during physical exertion and create a sense of reward; and serotonin, which supports positive mood and memory.

“All three have positive effects, and it is shown that whilst you are walking and engaging in physical activity, their levels in the brain go up,” he said. This chemical cascade explains why walking has been shown in numerous studies to reduce stress, anxiety, and depression — and why hikers climbing the Aburi Mountains return exhausted but elated, and come back the following week to do it again.

A Weapon Against Neurological Decline

For older adults, the stakes are higher. Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases are neurodegenerative — the brain loses cells and connections over time. Walking does the opposite: it builds connections and can stimulate new cell growth. Studies have shown it can slow cognitive decline in elderly populations.

“Walking can be a way to slow down this decline,” Dr. Tagoe said. “We don’t have a medicinal cure for diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Walking is a free way to manage them.”

For stroke survivors like Ocansey, the science is equally encouraging. Stroke disconnects brain regions, impairing speech, memory and movement.

Because walking helps forge new neural connections, Dr. Tagoe says it can meaningfully accelerate recovery — though he cautions it is not a cure.

Good for the Knees, Not Just the Mind

The benefits extend well below the skull. Mr. Prince De-Gaulle Deku (BSc, MPhil, CExR), a Clinical Exercise Rehabilitation Therapist at the Department of Physiotherapy and Sports Science under the Faculty of Allied Health Sciences at KNUST, says walking strengthens the muscles that stabilise the spine and support the knee, while also reducing mechanical stress on joints.

“Regular walking lowers the risk of chronic knee pain recurrence and improves knee pain associated with osteoarthritis — when performed progressively and correctly,” he told The Chronicle.

For conditions such as obesity, arthritis and hypertension, Deku cites WHO and CDC evidence placing walking among the most effective lifestyle interventions available. Brisk walking, he adds, can significantly reduce cardiovascular mortality risk by improving the heart’s efficiency as a pump.

How to Walk Well — and How Much Is Enough

Both experts converge on dosage: 30 to 60 minutes of moderately brisk walking, five days a week, is the target. A useful gauge for intensity is the talk test — you should be slightly breathless but still able to hold a conversation.

For those who prefer counting steps, Dr. Tagoe suggests three to five thousand steps a day as a reasonable maintenance target, with more required to unlock deeper benefits.

Technique matters too, Deku warns. Walkers should maintain an upright posture, relax their shoulders, keep the head up and eyes forward, engage their core, and follow a heel-to-toe foot strike — landing on the heel, rolling through the foot, and pushing off with the toes. Arm swing should be natural, and strides should not be overextended.

“Avoid shoes that don’t properly mimic how your feet are naturally designed,” he added, noting that many modern sneakers restrict the natural splaying of the toes and compromise gait mechanics. Occasionally walking barefoot, as Ocansey does, can help restore this natural contact with the ground.

Warning signs of overdoing it include persistent or worsening joint pain, swelling, excessive fatigue, shortness of breath disproportionate to effort, dizziness, and chest discomfort.

Start Slow, Progress Steadily

The most common mistake walkers make, according to Deku, is doing too much too soon.
“The body has to have time to acclimatise. If you are doing something you have not done before, you have to progress gradually,” he said. “Gradual improvement is far more beneficial than sporadic, intense effort.”

Source: The Chronicle