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As the temperatures dip and daylight starts to dwindle sooner in the evenings, staying active often falls to the bottom of the priority list. It’s easy to settle into the routine of indoor comfort with more screens and less movement. However, carving out time for a daily walk, even in the chillier months, is a simple and effective way to stay physically and mentally sharp. FALL AND WINTER ARE NATURE’S UNDERRATED WORKOUT MONTHS. There’s something calming about a quiet sidewalk covered in fall leaves or a peaceful neighborhood dusted with frost. The colder seasons offer a refreshing and grounding change of scenery. A short walk outdoors allows you to unplug and take in the subtle beauty that’s easy to miss when you’re rushing from one indoor task to the next. THE SCIENCE OF SEASONAL MOVEMENT IS REAL. Cooler air does more than wake you up. It makes your body work harder to stay warm, thus increasing the calorie burn of even a casual stroll. That quick burst of movement in the cold can also boost circulation, improve energy levels, and clear mental fog, especially if you’ve been sitting at a desk for most of the day. CREATE A COZY ROUTINE YOU LOOK FORWARD TO. One of the best ways to stay consistent during these cooler months is to make your walk enjoyable. Layer up in comfortable gear, choose a playlist or podcast you love, and set a daily reminder to step outside. Whether it’s 10 minutes around the block or a long weekend loop, consistency matters more than intensity. MAKE IT SOCIAL, REWARDING, OR BOTH. If you aren’t feeling motivated solo, ask a friend or neighbor to join you a few times a week. If you prefer going alone, add a small reward: a stop for a warm drink, or the satisfaction of checking it off your daily goals list. These little incentives can make your walk something to look forward to. The Case for a Daily Walk LESS SCROLLING, MORE STROLLING
Pet parents have long known that their furry friends understand many things humans say. Now, scientists are expanding our understanding of pets’ language skills. Research shows that dogs interpret humans’ language cues in ways similar to a 2-year-old human toddler, and certain precocious dogs do even better. In a 2023 study in Scientific Reports, researchers used social media to recruit the owners of 41 dogs that performed above average on a test of toy name recognition. Researchers also observed further tests in video meetings. Fewer than 1 in 4 owners intentionally trained their dogs, and most said it took fewer than 5 minutes to learn a new toy name. Border collies quickly rose to the head of the class; nearly two-thirds of these “gifted word learner” dogs were either border collies or border collie crosses. These gifted dogs, researchers concluded, were capable of learning 50 to 100 toy names. A landmark 2024 study tested dogs’ ability to recognize names of other objects, such as a wallet, phone, or leash. In a painless process, the researchers attached electrodes to the heads of 18 dogs and used electroencephalogram (EEG) machines to measure brain waves. Then, they played recordings of each pet’s owner saying the names of familiar objects. They showed the dog an object their owner was holding behind a window, either the item named in the recording or a different one. They found that dogs process words as references to objects in the environment, just as humans do. If the object held by their owner didn’t match the word the dog heard, the dog’s brain reacted similarly to that of a human brain fed dissonant information. Cats have not been studied as extensively as dogs. However, in a test of 41 cats in their humans’ homes, the cats were able to discover hidden treats by following their owners’ gaze cues, according to a 2019 study. The cats were quicker to respond if the owners were attentive and spoke to them or made eye contact in an intentional way before signaling. Younger cats performed better on the tests, suggesting that socialization plays a role in their learning. Other research shows cats recognize their names when spoken by their humans and engage in synchronized nonverbal communication, such as blinking more frequently when their owners blink at them. How Dogs and Cats Decode Our Words and Gestures Your Pet Is Listening
Clearly, our pets often understand our words and behavior more than we think.
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