What if someone told you there was something that you can do to create an immediate, positive impact on your brain, mood and focus; while protecting yourself from various health conditions like depression, Alzheimer’s and dementia?
This is the question that Wendy Suzuki poses to her audience at the beginning of her TED talk. And what is that mysterious thing that can magically improve our brain functioning and health, you ask?
Suzuki answers: it’s exercise.
It turns out that the benefits we can get from just moving our bodies are not only immediate—they also last for the rest of our lives.
As a neuroscientist, Suzuki actually discovered the life-changing power of exercise… by accident! After coming back from a river-rafting trip where she was, according to her, “the weakest person”—she decided she absolutely has to step up her workout game, and started hitting the gym regularly.
What she discovered blew her mind: not only did her mood improve, but after over a year of training, she also gained better focus and better long-term memory.
“Exercise is the most transformative thing that you can do for your brain today,” Suzuki says. And the cool thing is: even a single workout has an incredible impact on your mood and focus. But the even cooler thing is: a regular workout routine can help you enjoy the long-term benefits of exercise, that go as far as creating whole-new brain cells.
According to Suzuki, the minimum amount of exercise required to reap those benefits is three to four times of 30-minute workouts per week, involving aerobic exercises.
