3393: For A Better Functioning Brain - Get Moving by Doctor Jenny Brockis on Mental Wellbeing

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[00:00:38] This is Optimal Living Daily. For a better functioning brain, get moving. By Dr. Jenny Brockis of drjennybrockis.com. And I'm Justin Malik, your narrator reading to you every day of the year.

[00:00:50] But on Sundays, I think it's nice to share an episode from a different podcast where we read to you.

[00:00:56] Today's comes from my brother's show, Optimal Health Daily. By the way, he answers listener questions on Fridays.

[00:01:03] And if you send a relevant one in and you're in the US, I'll personally visit the post office and mail you a physical copy of our 216 page hardcover Optimal Living Daily workbook, all for free.

[00:01:16] If you're outside of the US, I'll email you a digital version. You can send a health-related question to health at oldpodcast.com and then listen in to that show on Fridays.

[00:01:27] Again, that's Optimal Health Daily. And do send in your questions soon because I'll be running out of workbooks any day now.

[00:01:34] But with that, let's get right to the bonus episode as we optimize your life.

[00:01:42] For a better functioning brain, get moving. By Dr. Jenny Brockis of drjennybrockis.com.

[00:01:49] The most important thing any of us can do to look after our brain is to ensure we do sufficient exercise, the physical sort that involves getting your heart rate up and makes you a bit puffed.

[00:02:00] Beyond all the healthy food we eat to nourish our brain and all the training we undertake to keep our brain functions polished up,

[00:02:07] it's exercising our body that has been shown in countless research papers to be the essential brain builder.

[00:02:14] The trouble is that for too many of us, our sedentary lifestyle means we are simply not getting the exercise we need.

[00:02:21] Simon Sinek, in his excellent TED Talk, explains it's knowing why that makes the biggest difference in our behavior.

[00:02:29] So, why is physical exercise so important for our brains?

[00:02:34] When I ask workshop participants what they think the reason might be,

[00:02:38] they will often suggest it's because exercise stimulates greater blood flow and more oxygen being carried to the brain,

[00:02:44] which would appear to be good for greater brain functioning.

[00:02:47] However, this is only part of the story.

[00:02:51] When we exercise, we release higher amounts of a substance called brain-derived neurotrophic factor, abbreviated BDNF.

[00:03:00] BDNF is very important for neuron maintenance and strengthening synaptic connections.

[00:03:06] In other words, it's very helpful for memory.

[00:03:10] BDNF is also involved in neurogenesis, the production of new neurons and supports their survival, maturation,

[00:03:17] and incorporation into our existing neural circuitry.

[00:03:21] Exercise helps to reduce levels of stress hormones, elevate mood,

[00:03:25] and is associated with the release of endorphins, our feel-good chemicals.

[00:03:30] I remember finishing a session at a local gym and being persuaded prior to leaving

[00:03:35] to sign up for another 12-month membership.

[00:03:38] I realized afterwards it was my happy endorphin-related euphoria which made me commit.

[00:03:43] Have you ever noticed that you feel good after exercise?

[00:03:47] Being in a positive mood, of course, is associated with higher performance,

[00:03:51] which explains why doing some exercise before you go to work means you're more likely to get

[00:03:57] more out of your day and achieve more.

[00:04:00] John Rady in his book, Spark, has shown that kids who exercise either by running or walking

[00:04:05] around the school oval before taking a test or exam achieve higher test marks compared to

[00:04:11] those that don't.

[00:04:13] Happily, you can get the full benefit of BDNF and the endorphin boost in a relatively short

[00:04:18] time frame, which is good news for those trying to schedule in their exercise routine in the

[00:04:23] morning.

[00:04:24] 20 minutes daily will set you up to ensure the rest of your day goes well.

[00:04:29] The main thing, of course, is to actually get out there and do it.

[00:04:33] My good friend David Beard, exercise physiologist who, not surprisingly, is extremely fit,

[00:04:39] has a few tips that he shares to help us mere mortals find our way to the gym or the pool

[00:04:45] or walking track when necessary, especially on those days when it's a bit cold or dark

[00:04:50] or raining and we feel like staying snuggled under the warmth of our favorite quilt for

[00:04:55] a little longer instead.

[00:04:57] Here are his tips.

[00:04:58] 1.

[00:04:59] Put your running or walking shoes by the front door and lay out your exercise gear ready to

[00:05:05] put on before you go to bed.

[00:05:07] 2.

[00:05:08] Tell your husband, wife, partner, child, neighbor, even your dog that you're going to go exercise

[00:05:15] early in the morning.

[00:05:16] Better still, get them to come along with you.

[00:05:19] There's nothing like a bit of accountability to make things happen.

[00:05:23] 3.

[00:05:24] Track your exercises and record your progress.

[00:05:27] This is a bit like the star charts we used for our children to reward good behavior or when

[00:05:32] they completed piano practice.

[00:05:34] It works on grown-ups as well, though you might want to use a different reward other than shiny

[00:05:39] gold stars.

[00:05:40] 4.

[00:05:41] Start small.

[00:05:42] There are no prizes for trying to do too much too quickly and running the risk of injury,

[00:05:47] especially if you're starting from zero.

[00:05:50] If you're over 40, please have a checkup with your general practitioner first to ensure you're

[00:05:55] fit enough to undertake the physical routine you have chosen to undertake.

[00:05:59] If this means starting with a 5-10 minute walk 3 times a week, then that's fine.

[00:06:05] It's easy once you've started safely to build steadily from there.

[00:06:09] Remember, new habits require new neural circuitry to be created, and it's the repetition that embeds

[00:06:16] the habit.

[00:06:17] Once acquired, your brain will continue to benefit from the higher levels of BDNF and endorphins

[00:06:24] being regularly produced, and people will start noticing.

[00:06:26] Not only will they notice you seem fitter and more alert, they'll notice you're smiling

[00:06:31] a lot more and that you seem happier too.

[00:06:34] Not bad for 20 minutes of your time every day.

[00:06:41] You just listened to the post titled, For a Better Functioning Brain, Get Moving, by Dr.

[00:06:46] Jenny Brockes of drjennybrockes.com.

[00:06:49] Dr. Neil here for my commentary.

[00:06:52] As Dr. Brockes mentioned, there are many, many articles that talk about the benefits of exercise.

[00:06:58] We do see in the media how to keep our memory and brain overall sharp as we age.

[00:07:03] And these articles might mention eating foods that are rich in antioxidants, eating plenty

[00:07:08] of omega-3 fats, doing puzzles, staying active in social circles.

[00:07:13] But I'm always amazed when these media articles don't pick up on the fact that exercise is probably

[00:07:19] one of the most important.

[00:07:21] Staying physically active is one of the best ways to keep your brain functioning at its best

[00:07:26] as we age.

[00:07:27] In fact, if we can incorporate some balance training and performing movements that require

[00:07:32] us to move our limbs across to the other sides of our bodies, those have been shown to be

[00:07:38] really helpful too.

[00:07:39] For example, if we can perform yoga type movements regularly, this would incorporate balance training

[00:07:46] because many of the poses incorporate balancing while holding a certain position or pose.

[00:07:52] And many yoga movements involve twisting and moving our limbs across the center of the body.

[00:07:57] These types of movements have been shown to help increase the connections between the nerve

[00:08:03] cells in the brain, which will improve overall brain functioning.

[00:08:06] So, I agree with Dr. Brockes.

[00:08:09] If we can fit in, exercise for even just 20 minutes every day, we can actually help improve

[00:08:16] our brain functioning.

[00:08:18] So worth the effort.

[00:08:20] All right, thank you so much for being here.

[00:08:22] Thank you for listening every day.

[00:08:23] I hope you're having a great week so far.

[00:08:25] And I'll see you back here tomorrow where your optimal life awaits.