Exercising for Brain Health | Drs Dean & Ayesha Sherzai | The Proof Podcast EP 226

In Episode 226, I’m joined by Drs Ayesha and Dean Sherzai to examine how exercise impacts brain health.

👇 Visit The Proof website for supporting studies and the full show notes 👇
https://theproof.com/podcast/

Drs Dean and Ayesha Sherzai are no strangers to The Proof Podcast. As community favourites, we’ve previously covered topics focusing predominantly on the relationship between nutrition, neurodegenerative disease, aging, and other factors of brain health. In today’s episode, we step away from food to focus on the way exercise can impact our brain’s functioning and health.

Dr Ayesha Sherzai is a vascular neurologist and research scientist, and Dr Dean Sherzai is a behavioural neurologist and neuroscientist. Both hold extensive qualifications and experience in their field and take a dedicated focus to community empowerment. They are the authors of two best-selling books, The Alzheimer’s Solution and The 30 Day Alzheimer’s Solution . Long-time listeners of The Proof will appreciate their incredibly informed approach that is packed with information you can use to improve your own health.

In this episode, we establish exactly why exercise is so important for brain health. We focus on two main considerations: what we know about the relationship between exercise and cognition, and how we can explain this relationship from an evolutionary lens. We discuss how movement impacts cognition, engaging your brain while exercising, and aging and brain health. We also cover neurogenesis, brain trauma, exercise and mood disorders, and motivation versus discipline.

Specifically, we discuss:

0:00 Intro
7:51 Defining Exercise & Cognition
13:16 Studies on Exercise/ Brain Power
16:34 Normal vs Pathological Aging
22:30 Aging: What’s Possible
27:31 Evolution of the Brain
42:23 Combining Thinking & Movement
50:40 Improving Brain Function
58:27 Mild Cognitive Impairment
1:01:05 Exercise for Brain Health
1:09:53 VO2 max & brain health
1:12:36 Danger of Exercise
1:24:51 Can you reverse pathology?
1:29:00 Mood Disorders
1:31:06 Motivation vs Discipline
1:37:35 Outro

Having Drs Dean and Ayesha Sherzai on the show is always a pleasure. With profound knowledge and extensive experience, they offer invaluable insight delivered in a way that is both digestible and actionable.

To hear more from Drs Ayesha and Dean Sherzai, you can listen to their previous episodes:
• 65: https://theproof.com/how-food-affects...
• 78: https://theproof.com/how-to-get-more-...
• 97: https://theproof.com/avoiding-a-strok...
• 117: https://theproof.com/omega-3s-and-bra...
• 126: https://theproof.com/practical-tips-f...
• 188: https://theproof.com/tips-for-optimal...

• Their podcast, The Brain Health Revolution: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast...
• Instagram:   / thebraindocs  
• Website: https://www.teamsherzai.com/
• Website: https://thebraindocs.com/

The best way to support the show is to use the products and services offered by our sponsors. To check them out, and enjoy great savings, visit http://theproof.com/friends

Enjoy, friends.

Simon

====

Want to support the show?
The best way to support the show is to use the products and services offered by our sponsors. To check them out, and enjoy great savings, visit https://theproof.com/friends/.

• The Proof with Simon Hill - https://theproof.com/podcast/
• Book: The Proof is in the Plants - https://theproof.com/book/
• Apple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast...
• Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/7bAIJCV...
• Instagram -   / theproof  
• Twitter -   / theproof  
• Facebook -   / theproofwithsimonhill  
• Two week meal plan - https://theproof.com/mealplan/
• Plant Performance - https://theproof.com/plant-performance/
• Use the products and services offered by our sponsors. To check them out, and enjoy great savings, visit theproof.com/friends.
#theproof #theproofpodcast #simonhill #drsherzai