Backpacking and Hiking make your brain bigger

We loved this story when we heard it on NPR's Science Friday...

ScienceDaily (Feb. 4, 2011) — A systematic review carried out by a team at the Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry has analysed existing studies and concluded that there are benefits to mental and physical well-being from taking exercise in the natural environment. Their findings are published in the research journal Environmental Science and Technology on February 4th 2011.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/02/110204130607.htm

It turns out that doing mental puzzles (crosswords, sudoku, etc.) help build specific brain functions ( P is addicted to those) but only hiking or other outside exercise builds a better brain all the way around.

But then, as backpackers, we knew that we felt better, and thought better, after we returned from a backpacking trip.

Of course we knew. We backpack. Our brains are already bigger!