6 May 2025 09:00
S12 EP3: Can Sitting Shrink Our Brains?
Does exercise make you feel happy? How does sitting all day make you feel? These seem like easy questions to answer. But let’s face it, even with our standing desks, our modern lifestyle makes it really easy to be sedentary more often than we’d like. We invited David Raichlen, a Biological Anthropologist whose fascinating research on how human evolution has shaped our need for physical activity to the podcast to really uncover how all this sitting is impacting our health, especially our brains.
David has some great advice on how to grow your brain at any age and how to keep moving even when every convenience of our lifetime gives you the opportunity to just do nothing instead. Don’t let your evolved drive to conserve energy fool you. Exercise is the magic pill that will benefit every part of your physiological system. And it doesn’t have to be complicated. Whatever activity suits you, do that. Because the best exercise for physical and cognitive health is the one you will do.
(00:01:07) Welcome David Raichlen, Biological Anthropologist to the podcast.
(00:05:58) Is the happy feeling that comes with exercise an evolutionary survival mechanism?
(00:10:33) Can humans actually grow their brains at any age?
(00:15:40) Will the brain shrink without exercise? And can exercise lessen the risk of developing dementia or Alzheimer's?
(00:22:40) How much less we are moving in today’s world and a look at the Hadza.
(00:25:57) Has the brain adapted to a sedentary lifestyle?
(00:30:15) Will weight loss drugs decrease motivation for movement?
(00:35:50) The benefits of exercising in green spaces and simplifying movement.
(00:39:07) The biggest health outcomes and impressive gains statistics.
(00:47:57) Does the kind of exercise we are doing matter when it comes to brain health?
(00:55:33) Is working out with somebody a bigger bang for your buck when it comes to brain health?
(00:58:00) Best food to improve brain function. It’s a long game of daily decisions.
(01:02:24) Should we sacrifice sleep for exercise?
(01:12:18) Where to hear more from David Raichlen
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