A difficult day at work can do more than darken your mood.  Elevated levels of the stress hormone cortisol mess with your short-term memory, turning a week you'd rather forget into one you, well... actually do. 

(Related: Beat the blue mondays with trail running)

But if your solution is to lace up, hit the pavement and leave your troubles for dust, you're cheating yourself out of cardio's advantages. 

According to a study by researchers at the University of North Florida, barefoot running has benefits for working memory that even your best Nike Air Zooms negate.  In their studies, participants aged 18-44 were given a quick memory test and then asked to run at a self-selected pace either with or without shoes for 15 minutes. 

(Related: How running can make you happy)

In subsequent tests, the shoeless crew had sharpened their powers of recollection by 16%; no difference was observed in the trainer-clad group. 

Now clearly lapping the roads around your house with your soles exposed is a bad idea.  Relocating your Sunday run to an unspoilt park or local football field, however, is a clever move. 

(Related: 8 ways to nail barefoot running)

Not only will running on grass burn more calories per mile, but the Florida scientists claim the “tactile and proprioceptive demands” of going barefoot boost activity in your brain, recharging it for the week ahead. 

You won't have to remember where your trainers are, at least. 

Scarlett Wrench Scarlett Wrench is the Features Editor at Men’s Health and she specialises in food and nutrition, mental health, science and tech. 

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