Feel Better, Live More with Dr Rangan Chatterjee BITESIZE | How Exercise Changes Your Brain and Reduces Your Risk of Depression | Dr Anders Hansen #429
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Feb 23, 2024 
In this engaging discussion, Dr. Anders Hansen, a renowned psychiatrist and best-selling author, reveals how exercise significantly impacts brain health and mental well-being. He emphasizes that physical activity not only enhances cognition, memory, and creativity but also reduces the risk of depression. Through captivating studies, including one on cycling, he underscores the necessity of an active lifestyle. By sharing personal stories, he illustrates how even small movements can yield major benefits for mental health and happiness.
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Exercise and the Brain
- Exercise benefits cognition, including memory, focus, creativity, and even intelligence.
- It also protects against depression and anxiety, with the brain benefiting the most.
Hippocampus Study
- A study showed that walking reversed hippocampus shrinkage, a brain area linked to memory.
- The walking group's hippocampus grew by 2%, while the stretching group's shrunk by 1.4%.
Evolutionary Basis of Exercise
- Historically, humans needed cognitive function most during movement (hunting, gathering).
- Exercise thus enhances cognition because it taps into this evolved mechanism.