According to a study featured on The New York Times, a sedentary lifestyle may remodel your brain and lead to cardiovascular disease.

Researchers from Wayne State University School of Medicine worked with 12 laboratory mice, half of which were given running wheels in their cages.

After three months, the subjects were injected with a special dye that would reflect neurons from their rostral ventrolateral medulla, the part of the brain that manages unconscious activities like breathing and controls the sympathetic nervous system, which involves blood pressure management and blood vessel constriction.

While mice with exercise wheels showed no brain changes, those without wheels showed overstimulated sympathetic nervous systems, which may result in hypertension and cardiovascular disease.

Although the study is yet to be applied to humans, researchers believe that it may do you more good to get on your feet more often.

(Photo by Alessandro Valli via Flickr Creative Commons)