Exercise and brain health

Dr David Moreau discusses the latest on exercise to optimise brain health.

Topics

Intro
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Is exercise important for brain health?
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The research
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impact on inflammation
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Does our need for exercise change across the lifespan?
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Can moving to an active lifestyle reverse damage or slow progression of disease?
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How much exercise a day do we need for optimal brain health?
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How important is a routine?
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How important is it that a workout is cognitively challenging?
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How important is social interaction for cognitive health?
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Is there evidence for enhanced brain health if we exercise outdoors?
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high intensity interval training and brain health
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Resistance training and brain health
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Rest days and recovery
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What about brain health and food?
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Take-home messages
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Take home messages

Exercising is the single, most important thing you can do for you brain.
Beyond its impact on the brain, exercising also has a range of well-known benefits to our bodies.
Exercise need not be long nor cumbersome—new trends in exercise neuroscience can ensure interest does not taper off.
Short bursts of exercise can provide meaningful and long-lasting benefits.
Exercise is part of a broader set of healthy behaviours that can benefit our brains and protect cognitive function.

Resources

Be smart, exercise your heart: exercise effects on brain and cognition Nature Reviews Neuroscience (2008)
The Acute Effect of High-Intensity Exercise on Executive Function: A Meta-Analysis Perspect Psychol Sci. (2019)
Effect of acute cardiovascular exercise on cerebral blood flow: A systematic review Brain Res. (2023)

Patient Resources

How much activity is recommended?

Presenter

David Moreau

Senior Lecturer

Brain Dynamics Lab

David is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Psychology and Centre for Brain Research at the University of Auckland, where he leads the Brain Dynamics Lab (braindynamicslab.com). His research expertise is in cognitive neuroscience, particularly the study of the dynamics of cognitive and neural systems, where he has developed a number of methodological tools to facilitate cognitive measurements and evidence-based synthesis.

David is also a former international wrestler and judo black belt, a background that has allowed him to actively promote exercise and healthy behaviours in New Zealand communities.