The brain-changing benefits of exercise
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0:01 - 0:05What if I told you there was something
that you can do right now -
0:05 - 0:09that would have an immediate,
positive benefit for your brain -
0:09 - 0:12including your mood and your focus?
-
0:12 - 0:18And what if I told you that same thing
could actually last a long time -
0:18 - 0:20and protect your brain
from different conditions -
0:20 - 0:24like depression,
Alzheimer's disease or dementia. -
0:24 - 0:26Would you do it?
-
0:26 - 0:27Yes!
-
0:27 - 0:32I am talking about the powerful effects
of physical activity. -
0:32 - 0:34Simply moving your body,
-
0:34 - 0:39has immediate, long-lasting
and protective benefits for your brain. -
0:40 - 0:42And that can last
for the rest of your life. -
0:42 - 0:45So what I want to do today
is tell you a story -
0:45 - 0:49about how I used my deep
understanding of neuroscience, -
0:49 - 0:51as a professor of neuroscience,
-
0:51 - 0:54to essentially do an experiment on myself
-
0:54 - 0:57in which I discovered
the science underlying -
0:57 - 1:01why exercise
is the most transformative thing -
1:01 - 1:03that you can do for your brain today.
-
1:03 - 1:07Now, as a neuroscientist,
I know that our brains, -
1:07 - 1:10that is the thing in our head right now,
-
1:10 - 1:15that is the most complex structure
known to humankind. -
1:15 - 1:18But it's one thing
to talk about the brain, -
1:18 - 1:19and it's another to see it.
-
1:20 - 1:23So here is a real preserved human brain.
-
1:23 - 1:27And it's going to illustrate two key areas
that we are going to talk about today. -
1:27 - 1:31The first is the prefrontal cortex,
right behind your forehead, -
1:31 - 1:37critical for things like decision-making,
focus, attention and your personality. -
1:37 - 1:42The second key area is located
in the temporal lobe, shown right here. -
1:42 - 1:45You have two temporal lobes in your brain,
the right and the left, -
1:45 - 1:47and deep in the temporal lobe
is a key structure -
1:47 - 1:49critical for your ability
-
1:49 - 1:54to form and retain new long-term
memories for facts and events. -
1:54 - 1:57And that structure
is called the hippocampus. -
1:57 - 2:00So I've always been fascinated
with the hippocampus. -
2:01 - 2:05How could it be that an event
that lasts just a moment, -
2:05 - 2:08say, your first kiss,
-
2:08 - 2:11or the moment your first child was born,
-
2:11 - 2:14can form a memory
that has changed your brain, -
2:14 - 2:17that lasts an entire lifetime?
-
2:17 - 2:19That's what I want to understand.
-
2:19 - 2:24I wanted to start and record
the activity of individual brain cells -
2:24 - 2:25in the hippocampus
-
2:25 - 2:28as subjects were forming new memories.
-
2:28 - 2:33And essentially try and decode how
those brief bursts of electrical activity, -
2:33 - 2:36which is how neurons
communicate with each other, -
2:36 - 2:41how those brief bursts either allowed us
to form a new memory, or did not. -
2:41 - 2:44But a few years ago,
I did something very unusual in science. -
2:44 - 2:46As a full professor of neural science,
-
2:46 - 2:50I decided to completely switch
my research program. -
2:51 - 2:55Because I encountered something
that was so amazing, -
2:55 - 2:58with the potential to change so many lives
-
2:58 - 2:59that I had to study it.
-
3:00 - 3:06I discovered and I experienced
the brain-changing effects of exercise. -
3:06 - 3:10And I did it in a completely
inadvertent way. -
3:10 - 3:13I was actually at the height
of all the memory work that I was doing -- -
3:13 - 3:15data was pouring in,
-
3:15 - 3:20I was becoming known in my field
for all of this memory work. -
3:20 - 3:23And it should have been going great.
It was, scientifically. -
3:24 - 3:28But when I stuck my head
out of my lab door, -
3:28 - 3:29I noticed something.
-
3:30 - 3:31I had no social life.
-
3:31 - 3:34I spent too much time
listening to those brain cells -
3:34 - 3:36in a dark room, by myself.
-
3:36 - 3:37(Laughter)
-
3:37 - 3:40I didn't move my body at all.
-
3:40 - 3:42I had gained 25 pounds.
-
3:42 - 3:45And actually, it took me
many years to realize it, -
3:45 - 3:47I was actually miserable.
-
3:47 - 3:48And I shouldn't be miserable.
-
3:48 - 3:53And I went on a river-rafting trip --
by myself, because I had no social life. -
3:53 - 3:54And I came back --
-
3:54 - 3:55(Laughter)
-
3:55 - 3:59thinking, "Oh, my God,
I was the weakest person on that trip." -
3:59 - 4:00And I came back with a mission.
-
4:00 - 4:03I said, "I'm never going to feel
like the weakest person -
4:03 - 4:04on a river-rafting trip again."
-
4:04 - 4:06And that's what made me go to the gym.
-
4:06 - 4:10And I focused my type-A personality
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4:10 - 4:13on going to all the exercise
classes at the gym. -
4:13 - 4:15I tried everything.
-
4:15 - 4:19I went to kickbox,
dance, yoga, step class, -
4:19 - 4:21and at first it was really hard.
-
4:21 - 4:26But what I noticed is that after every
sweat-inducing workout that I tried, -
4:26 - 4:30I had this great mood boost
and this great energy boost. -
4:30 - 4:33And that's what kept me
going back to the gym. -
4:33 - 4:35Well, I started feeling stronger.
-
4:35 - 4:39I started feeling better,
I even lost that 25 pounds. -
4:39 - 4:44And now, fast-forward a year and a half
into this regular exercise program -
4:45 - 4:48and I noticed something that really
made me sit up and take notice. -
4:48 - 4:51I was sitting at my desk,
writing a research grant, -
4:51 - 4:53and a thought went through my mind
-
4:53 - 4:56that had never gone
through my mind before. -
4:56 - 4:58And that thought was,
-
4:58 - 5:01"Gee, grant-writing is going well today."
-
5:01 - 5:02And all the scientists --
-
5:02 - 5:03(Laughter)
-
5:03 - 5:06yeah, all the scientists
always laugh when I say that, -
5:06 - 5:08because grant-writing never goes well.
-
5:08 - 5:11It is so hard; you're always
pulling your hair out, -
5:11 - 5:14trying to come up with that
million-dollar-winning idea. -
5:14 - 5:17But I realized that
the grant-writing was going well, -
5:17 - 5:22because I was able
to focus and maintain my attention -
5:22 - 5:24for longer than I had before.
-
5:24 - 5:29And my long-term memory --
what I was studying in my own lab -- -
5:29 - 5:31seemed to be better in me.
-
5:32 - 5:34And that's when I put it together.
-
5:34 - 5:39Maybe all that exercise
that I had included and added to my life -
5:39 - 5:40was changing my brain.
-
5:40 - 5:43Maybe I did an experiment on myself
without even knowing it. -
5:43 - 5:45So as a curious neuroscientist,
-
5:45 - 5:48I went to the literature to see
what I could find about what we knew -
5:49 - 5:51about the effects
of exercise on the brain. -
5:51 - 5:55And what I found was an exciting
and a growing literature -
5:55 - 5:59that was essentially showing everything
that I noticed in myself. -
5:59 - 6:03Better mood, better energy,
better memory, better attention. -
6:04 - 6:06And the more I learned,
-
6:06 - 6:09the more I realized
how powerful exercise was. -
6:09 - 6:12Which eventually
led me to the big decision -
6:12 - 6:16to completely shift my research focus.
-
6:16 - 6:21And so now, after several years
of really focusing on this question, -
6:21 - 6:24I've come to the following conclusion:
-
6:24 - 6:27that exercise is
the most transformative thing -
6:28 - 6:30that you can do for your brain today
-
6:30 - 6:32for the following three reasons.
-
6:32 - 6:36Number one: it has
immediate effects on your brain. -
6:36 - 6:38A single workout that you do
-
6:38 - 6:41will immediately increase
levels of neurotransmitters -
6:41 - 6:45like dopamine, serotonin
and noradrenaline. -
6:45 - 6:48That is going to increase your mood
right after that workout, -
6:48 - 6:50exactly what I was feeling.
-
6:50 - 6:52My lab showed, that a single workout
-
6:52 - 6:56can improve your ability
to shift and focus attention, -
6:56 - 7:00and that focus improvement
will last for at least two hours. -
7:00 - 7:01And finally, studies have shown
-
7:02 - 7:05that a single workout
will improve your reaction times -
7:05 - 7:06which basically means
-
7:06 - 7:10that you are going to be faster
at catching that cup of Starbucks -
7:10 - 7:11that falls off the counter,
-
7:11 - 7:13which is very, very important.
-
7:13 - 7:14(Laughter)
-
7:14 - 7:18But these immediate effects are transient,
they help you right after. -
7:19 - 7:21What you have to do is do what I did,
-
7:21 - 7:25that is change your exercise regime,
increase your cardiorespiratory function, -
7:25 - 7:27to get the long-lasting effects.
-
7:27 - 7:29And these effects are long-lasting
-
7:29 - 7:34because exercise actually
changes the brain's anatomy, -
7:34 - 7:36physiology and function.
-
7:36 - 7:40Let's start with my favorite
brain area, the hippocampus. -
7:40 - 7:42The hippocampus --
-
7:42 - 7:46or exercise actually
produces brand new brain cells, -
7:46 - 7:51new brain cells in the hippocampus,
that actually increase its volume, -
7:51 - 7:55as well as improve
your long-term memory, OK? -
7:55 - 7:58And that including in you and me.
-
7:58 - 8:02Number two: the most common finding
in neuroscience studies, -
8:02 - 8:05looking at effects of long-term exercise,
-
8:05 - 8:09is improved attention function
dependent or your prefrontal cortex. -
8:09 - 8:12You not only get
better focus and attention, -
8:12 - 8:15but the volume of the hippocampus
increases as well. -
8:15 - 8:20And finally, you not only get
immediate effects of mood with exercise -
8:20 - 8:22but those last for a long time.
-
8:22 - 8:27So you get long-lasting increases
in those good mood neurotransmitters. -
8:28 - 8:32But really, the most transformative thing
that exercise will do -
8:33 - 8:36is its protective effects on your brain.
-
8:36 - 8:39Here you can think
about the brain like a muscle. -
8:39 - 8:40The more you're working out,
-
8:40 - 8:45the bigger and stronger your hippocampus
and prefrontal cortex gets. -
8:46 - 8:47Why is that important?
-
8:47 - 8:50Because the prefrontal cortex
and the hippocampus -
8:50 - 8:56are the two areas that are most
susceptible to neurodegenerative diseases -
8:56 - 8:58and normal cognitive decline in aging.
-
8:59 - 9:02So with increased exercise
over your lifetime, -
9:02 - 9:05you're not going to cure
dementia or Alzheimer's disease, -
9:05 - 9:08but what you're going to do
is you're going to create -
9:08 - 9:10the strongest, biggest hippocampus
and prefrontal cortex -
9:11 - 9:15so it takes longer for these diseases
to actually have an effect. -
9:16 - 9:18You can think of exercise, therefore,
-
9:18 - 9:24as a supercharged 401K for your brain, OK?
-
9:24 - 9:27And it's even better, because it's free.
-
9:28 - 9:31So this is the point in the talk
where everybody says, -
9:31 - 9:33"That sounds so interesting, Wendy,
-
9:33 - 9:35but I really will only
want to know one thing. -
9:36 - 9:39And that is, just tell me
the minimum amount of exercise -
9:39 - 9:41I need to get all these changes."
-
9:41 - 9:42(Laughter)
-
9:42 - 9:45And so I'm going to tell you
the answer to that question. -
9:45 - 9:49First, good news: you don't have to become
a triathlete to get these effects. -
9:50 - 9:54The rule of thumb is you want to get
three to four times a week exercise -
9:54 - 9:57minimum 30 minutes an exercise session,
-
9:58 - 10:00and you want to get aerobic exercise in.
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10:00 - 10:02That is, get your heart rate up.
-
10:02 - 10:05And the good news is,
you don't have to go to the gym -
10:05 - 10:07to get a very expensive gym membership.
-
10:07 - 10:10Add an extra walk around the block
in your power walk. -
10:10 - 10:13You see stairs -- take stairs.
-
10:13 - 10:17And power-vacuuming can be as good
as the aerobics class -
10:17 - 10:19that you were going to take at the gym.
-
10:20 - 10:24So I've gone from memory pioneer
-
10:24 - 10:26to exercise explorer.
-
10:26 - 10:29From going into the innermost
workings of the brain, -
10:30 - 10:34to trying to understand how exercise
can improve our brain function, -
10:34 - 10:37and my goal in my lab right now
-
10:37 - 10:40is to go beyond that rule of thumb
that I just gave you -- -
10:40 - 10:42three to four times a week, 30 minutes.
-
10:42 - 10:47I want to understand
the optimum exercise prescription -
10:47 - 10:51for you, at your age,
at your fitness level, -
10:51 - 10:53for your genetic background,
-
10:53 - 10:57to maximize the effects of exercise today
-
10:57 - 11:02and also to improve your brain
and protect your brain the best -
11:02 - 11:04for the rest of your life.
-
11:04 - 11:08But it's one thing to talk about exercise,
and it's another to do it. -
11:08 - 11:12So I'm going to invoke my power
as a certified exercise instructor, -
11:12 - 11:13to ask you all to stand up.
-
11:13 - 11:15(Laughter)
-
11:15 - 11:17We're going to do
just one minute of exercise. -
11:17 - 11:21It's call-and-response,
just do what I do, say what I say, -
11:21 - 11:24and make sure you don't punch
your neighbor, OK? -
11:24 - 11:25Music!
-
11:25 - 11:27(Upbeat music)
-
11:27 - 11:31Five, six, seven, eight,
it's right, left, right, left. -
11:31 - 11:36And I say, I am strong now.
-
11:36 - 11:37Let's hear you.
-
11:37 - 11:40Audience: I am strong now.
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11:40 - 11:44Wendy Suzuki: Ladies,
I am Wonder Woman-strong. -
11:44 - 11:45Let's hear you!
-
11:45 - 11:48Audience: I am Wonder Woman-strong.
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11:48 - 11:51WS: New move -- uppercut, right and left.
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11:51 - 11:55I am inspired now. You say it!
-
11:55 - 11:58Audience: I am inspired now.
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11:58 - 12:02WS: Last move -- pull it down,
right and left, right and left. -
12:02 - 12:07I say, I am on fire now! You say it.
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12:07 - 12:10Audience: I am on fire now.
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12:10 - 12:13WS: And done! OK, good job!
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12:13 - 12:18(Applause)
-
12:18 - 12:20Thank you.
-
12:20 - 12:22I want to leave you with one last thought.
-
12:22 - 12:26And that is, bringing
exercise in your life -
12:26 - 12:31will not only give you
a happier, more protective life today, -
12:31 - 12:35but it will protect your brain
from incurable diseases. -
12:36 - 12:41And in this way it will change
the trajectory of your life -
12:41 - 12:42for the better.
-
12:42 - 12:43Thank you very much.
-
12:43 - 12:46(Applause)
-
12:46 - 12:48Thank you.
-
12:48 - 12:50(Applause)
- Title:
- The brain-changing benefits of exercise
- Speaker:
- Wendy Suzuki
- Description:
-
What's the most transformative thing that you can do for your brain today? Exercise! says neuroscientist Wendy Suzuki. Get inspired to go to the gym as Suzuki discusses the science of how working out boosts your mood and memory -- and protects your brain against neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's.
- Video Language:
- English
- Team:
closed TED
- Project:
- TEDTalks
- Duration:
- 13:02
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Thu Do commented on English subtitles for The brain-changing benefits of exercise | |
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Brian Greene edited English subtitles for The brain-changing benefits of exercise | |
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Brian Greene edited English subtitles for The brain-changing benefits of exercise | |
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Joanna Pietrulewicz edited English subtitles for The brain-changing benefits of exercise | |
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Joanna Pietrulewicz edited English subtitles for The brain-changing benefits of exercise |
Thu Do
From 0:32 to 0:34 I think it should be 'this is simply moving your body'