TAKE EXERCISE FOR YOUR BODY — AND BRAIN CELLS

WHEN people ask me what is the single most important thing they can do to enhance their brain’s abilities and resilience, I answer with one word: exercise.

While it may seem hard to believe, exercise is the only activity scientifically proven to trigger biological effects that can help the brain.

Inactivity, though, has been calculated to be the most significant risk factor in cognitive decline and the development of dementia.

Broadly speaking, exercise improves digestion, metabolism, body tone and strength, and bone density. Most of us think about it as a weight-loss tool, which it is.

But it’s much more than that. It can turn on your ‘smart genes’, support emotional stability, and stave off depression and dementia.

We now know that regular movement measurably reduces stress and anxiety while improving sleep and mood — all of which can also positively affect brain structure and function.

These combined effects build critically important brain resilience in the long term — and help pave the way for us to be creative and insightful and to solve problems in the short term.

We also know that people who lead a physically active life have a lower risk of cognitive decline.

Research is now emerging that shows greater fitness is correlated with maintaining better processing skills in ageing brains.

The biology of how exercise benefits brain health goes far beyond the reasoning that it boosts the flow of oxygenated blood to the head.

It seems physical activity uses circulating blood sugar effectively and reduces inflammation.

At the same time it stimulates the release of growth factors — substances that promote both the proliferation and the function of cells.

In the brain, these growth factors support the health of new neurons, the optimum use of blood vessels and the survival of all neurons.

Even if you’ve never really exercised much in the past, you can start today and see quick and significant effects on your brain’s health (and the rest of your body).

People often tell me they ‘don’t have time’ to exercise, but you MUST make the time. When schedules get busy, exercise is often the first thing to be cancelled, but that has to change. Physical exercise may offer the greatest return on investment in yourself. It is an antidote to many things that play into your risk of brain decline.

If the simple act of moving more can cut the risk of getting dementia and put the brakes on existing disease, then there’s no excuse.

MY PRESCRIPTION FOR EXERCISE

▪ AEROBIC cardiovascular work (swimming, cycling, jogging, group exercise classes) for at least 30 minutes, five days a week.

▪ STRENGTH training (free weights, resistance bands, gym machines, mat Pilates, lunges, squats), and routines that promote flexibility and balance (stretching, yoga) twice a week.

▪ STAY physically active throughout the day (taking the stairs instead of the lift; avoiding prolonged sitting; going for walks during breaks; engaging in pastimes such as dancing, walking, and gardening). For me, exercise is a daily non-negotiable activity like brushing my teeth. I try to break a sweat every day, aiming for about an hour of exercise in addition to as much natural movement as possible throughout the day. I enjoy swimming, cycling, and running, and I throw in dedicated strength training a few times a week as well. Exercise is sacred time on my schedule. Wherever I am in the world, I have my running shoes, swimsuit, and goggles. I also take resistance bands with me on my travels to make sure I get in some strength training and I always pump out 100 press-ups every day too.

JUST WALK TO STAY SHARP

COMPARED to people who shun exercise entirely, regular walkers are 39% less likely to die prematurely.

So if you can get yourself out each day for an hour’s moderately-paced stroll, you will be putting yourself in the best possible place for a long, sharp life.

GET OFF THE SOFA AND KEEP MOVING

WHEN you are immobile, your circulation slows down and your body uses less of your blood sugar, which means that more sugar is circulating.

Being motionless also negatively influences blood fats, high-density lipoprotein (the good cholesterol), resting blood pressure, and the satiety hormone leptin (which tells you when to stop eating).

Sitting puts muscles into a sort of dormant state where their electrical activity is diminished, leading to atrophy and breakdown.

Moreover, the production of lipoprotein lipase, the enzyme that breaks down fat molecules in the blood, is shut down, leading to more fat circulating as well.

As your metabolic rate plummets, you stop burning as many calories.

ENJOY THE GREAT OUTDOORS

FOREST bathing (or walking among trees) has become popular lately as a way to lower heart rate and blood pressure and reduce stress hormone production.

And there is some science to back up its beneficial effects.

When you are breathing in the ‘aroma of the forest’, it seems you will be absorbing substances known as phytoncides, which protect trees from insects and other stressors.

We now know these phytoncides also work to protect us by increasing our natural killer immune cells and decreasing levels of the stress hormone, cortisol.

If you live miles from the woods, you can glean the same benefits by digging in the soil of your own garden or visiting a local park.