3581: Why Putting Your Trainers On is Good for Your Brain by Dr. Jenny Brockis on Active Living

[00:00:00] This episode is sponsored by Vinted. I recently looked at my closet and realized how many clothes I keep telling myself I'll wear again, but somehow never do. They're taking up space, and some of that could be extra money instead. That's where Vinted comes in. Vinted is the second-hand marketplace app that makes it simple to sell pre-loved fashion and give your clothes a second life. Listing on Vinted is quick and straightforward, and once an item sells, Vinted creates the prepaid shipping label for you.

[00:00:30] Without adding much to your routine. What I especially like is that Vinted has no seller fees, so you keep everything you earn. That makes finally clearing out your closet feel a lot more worthwhile, and it may even make room for something you'll actually wear. So, take another look at what's sitting unworn in your closet. Give your clothes a second life with Vinted. Download the Vinted app for free and start listing today. With no seller fees, you keep every dollar you earn.

[00:01:01] This is Optimal Health Daily. Why putting your trainers on is good for your brain. By Dr. Jenny Brockes of drjennybrockes.com, and I'm your host and narrator, Dr. Neal Malik. Hey there, happy Saturday, and welcome back to another weekend edition of Optimal Health Daily. This is where I read to you from some of the best health and fitness blogs on the web, and always with my commentary at the end. Alright, and with that, let's get right to the post for today as we optimize your life.

[00:01:32] Why putting your trainers on is good for your brain. By Dr. Jenny Brockes of drjennybrockes.com. It has been well documented that physical exercise promotes better brain health. As we get older, we become aware that our reaction times and thinking become slower. We are less adept at planning and multitasking. We find it harder to take in and remember new information. We find our ability to concentrate and focus diminishes.

[00:01:59] And we may even notice symptoms of the onset of neurodegenerative disease. Yikes. But do you have to go to the gym to get the necessary exercise to maintain good body and brain health? Does the thought of donning lycra, using muscles you never know you even had, and getting really sweaty and puffed, or being in the close vicinity to someone else in lycra who is sweaty and puffed, not inspire you to want to exercise? Well, the good news is, you don't have to.

[00:02:29] The key is regular exercise. And it can be as simple as starting with increasing opportunistic activity. It can be walking, swimming, running, golfing, cycling, whatever you like and are happy to persist with. It can even include going to the gym. Lycra not essential. What could you do at work to increase your activity levels? Are you stuck at a desk all day in front of a computer screen? Well, the first thing is to get you up and off your bottom.

[00:02:57] Try planning in 10-minute slots where you get up, have a bit of a stretch, and move and walk around the office. Better still, try to get outside into the fresh air. It's like long-distance flying. After sitting on your bottom for too long in an aircraft, we know the need to get up and have a stretch. When parking your car, either for work, at the shops, or elsewhere, rather than spending time trying desperately to get the closest spot to the nearest entrance,

[00:03:24] try parking a little further away from your destination so that you have to walk that incremental distance. Plus, you may find a greater number of freer spots to park in. If there's the choice of the elevator or the stairs, take the stairs. Maybe consider getting a dog. They are always ready for a walk and will provide the necessary incentive with a wag of their tail, fetching the leash or even the shoes, and of course, look at you with those big brown pleating eyes.

[00:03:52] Is it ever too late to start exercising? Absolutely not. Obviously, the earlier the better. Kids who participate in sport in childhood and adolescence tend to do better academically and be better adjusted in terms of mood. The aim is to carry on throughout our lives, participating in some form of regular activity that we enjoy. The key is consistency. We need to be making exercise part of our everyday lives.

[00:04:20] Studies have shown that going for a walk every day for 20 minutes will add significantly to our overall well-being and reduce our risk of stroke by 57%. Walking three times a week for 30 minutes has been shown to lower our risk of developing dementia by at least 10%. Walking that much further is even better, with improved benefits for every additional kilometer walked. If we're feeling a bit stressed or have a problem,

[00:04:48] going for a walk will help us to gain clarity in our thoughts and enable us to resolve these issues as well as improve our overall sense of well-being. When we exercise, we increase the amount of blood flow to our brain, and that also means the brain receives more oxygen and glucose. Regular activity will promote the formation of new blood vessels in the brain. That way we have greater energy production and our existing brain cells have a better chance of survival. And even better than that,

[00:05:17] studies have shown that regular exercise enhances neurogenesis, basically the production of new brain cells in the hippocampus specifically. The hippocampus is a specialized area of the brain that's particularly important for learning and memory. And yes, there's more. Exercise stimulates the production of substances called BDNFs, which are crucial to supporting and nourishing existing brain cells.

[00:05:44] Those who exercise more show less loss of gray matter, which means greater retention of the executive functions of the frontal lobes, so we're talking better concentration, attention, and planning. Plus, it appears that exercise can induce a change in the expression pattern of a wide array of genes. This is particularly important. For example, where someone may be carrying a gene which may put them at an increased risk of developing something called Alzheimer's disease,

[00:06:12] if that gene is not expressed or if the expression is delayed, that could have a significant impact on that person in reducing or delaying the probability of them developing the disease. The bottom line is that participating regularly in physical activity has clear benefits in assisting us to maintain good brain health and improving our cognitive function. It's a no-brainer not to be exercising. Now, where did I put my trainers?

[00:06:43] You just listened to the post titled, Why Putting Your Trainers On Is Good For Your Brain, by Dr. Jenny Brockes of drjennybrockes.com. And I'll be right back with my commentary. Pink Pantheress here. Coach and Spotify are teaming up to bring music and style together, and they want you to be part of it. Grab your friends and head to the Tabby Tour, hitting cities around the country with live performances from special artists, exclusive experiences, and personalized products. And discover custom playlists on Spotify,

[00:07:12] built just for you based on who you are and how you listen. Live your story with Coach. Learn more at coach.com. Sierra has all the best active and outdoor brands for the super athletic stuff, like running gear for cruising up the trail. Woo! And the super athletic-ish stuff, like fishing gear for chilling by the creek. Nice cast. Fitness apparel to push for higher reps. You got this! And golf balls priced so you can afford to lose one.

[00:07:42] Or a few. Head to Sierra or Sierra.com for the brands you want at the prices that let you do it all. From athletic to athletic-ish, Sierra's got it. Dr. Neal Malik here with my commentary. I often tell people that exercise can change your DNA. Usually, in response to that bold statement, people look at me like I'm crazy. Well, in today's article, Dr. Jenny Brockes has said that exercise can change the expression of some of our genes. See? I knew what I was talking about.

[00:08:12] Dr. Jenny Brockes has mentioned that say we have a genetic predisposition to Alzheimer's disease. Regular exercise may delay the development of that disease. Exercise also changes the way our body uses and stores the foods we eat. So, for example, the higher our overall levels of fitness, the more likely we are to use fat for energy all the time. Like, even when we're asleep or watching TV. The more fat we burn for energy,

[00:08:41] the less likely it will be stored as body fat. So, basically, regular exercise changes our metabolisms. Now, Dr. Brockes and I could go on and on about all of the wonderful benefits of exercise. But we won't. Because now, the most important next step is to get out there and do it. Alright, that'll do it for another Saturday show. Thank you, as always, for listening. Thank you for sharing this show with someone. I hope you have a great rest of your day.

[00:09:09] And, of course, I'll see you back here again tomorrow where your optimal life awaits. Amen. Ayahuasca