Get Moving to Get Younger:
The Exercise - Longevity Connection
Annie Bush
May 2024
It’s Springtime so that means it’s time to get outside and get moving! Did you know there is a direct connection between Exercise, Muscle Strength, Brain Health, and Longevity? It makes sense: The more you move the better you feel! Also, keeping a strong, healthy body keeps your brain sharp, and adds quality to your years. Bottom line for all your fishing enthusiasts: You need strength, endurance, and strong muscles to get in and out of your boat, and to reel in the big one!!
I recently found an amazing book by Dr. Gabrielle Lyon called “Forever Strong” and I highly recommend it to everyone. Dr. Lyon really explains the importance of having sufficient muscle and how to attain and maintain it. Most of us are not eating enough protein, so she explains how much and what types are best.
I had the pleasure of co-hosting a weekly program on the “USA Global TV” channel on YouTube called “Loving Longevity”. I interviewed Dr. Joseph Maroon, Neurosurgeon, Consultant for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Author, and Triathlete at the age of 81! Even though that interview was two years ago, and he is still going strong today! You can find him on Facebook and YouTube – my interview with him is still there also.
First off, before you think you have to start doing triathlons, you do not: According to Dr. Maroon, start with just 30 minutes of walking, five times a week. Dr. Dale Bredesen recommends aiming for 8900 steps a day for cognitive longevity.
To get even more brain and longevity benefits, add little “sprints” into your walk: For 30 seconds, walk or jog as fast as you can to get your heart rate up, then go back down to your normal pace for a couple of minutes, then repeat this cycle throughout your walk. This is called High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) or Moderate Intensity Interval Training (MIIT) depending on how fast you go. If you wear a Fitbit, Apple Watch, or Oura ring which measures your heart rate, you want to get up between 85%-95% of your maximum heart rate (MHR). To calculate your MHR, subtract your age from 220, then multiple by 85% and 95% to get your target range. If you are taking medications to lower your blood pressure, this calculation does not apply because the medication is artificially controlling your heart rate. Contact me for an alternative way to get your heart rate up.
As you get older, resistance training (muscle building) becomes more important, so you do not “muscle waste”. Folks who develop loss of muscle, or “sarcopenia” are more likely to suffer more severe bodily injury in the case of a fall (getting in or off your boat). I encourage you to read “Forever Strong” to learn how to build adequate muscle.
Think about adding in simple “Chair Squats” throughout the day. Get a good, sturdy chair, like a dining room chair, and put it up against the wall. Literally sit down as far back in the chair as you can go, and then, keeping your chest as high as possible, stand up. Viola, you just did a squat! Do one set of 10 during a television commercial break, then work up to two sets of 10, and then three sets of 10. The research shows strengthening your leg muscles are the most beneficial for brain health. Out on a walk – stop at a nearby bench and do your squats!
Exercise and Your Genes
Is your body built for endurance or power and strength? Want to get the most of your exercise? By doing your genetics, we can look at your DNA and tell what type of exercise would benefit you the most. For me, my body loves long hikes in the woods because I am built for endurance. You may be built for a fast-moving game of pickleball. Contact me if you are interested in getting your genetics done.
Exercise and Sleeping Better
Aerobic exercise stimulates your “Glymphatic System” which enables you to get into your “Deep” sleep cycle. What does this mean? When you first fall asleep, you go into your Deep sleep cycle, where the brain retracts ever so slightly, and is flooded with cerebrospinal fluid, which washes away the damaged cells, including amyloid plaque (the buildup of which is a sign of Alzheimer’s). Ideally, you are in the Deep sleep phase for around 1-1/2 hours each night. If you have a sleep tracking device (Fitbit, Apple watch, or Oura ring), check to see how much Deep sleep you are getting. You can tell if you are not getting enough if you wake up in the morning, and don’t feel “rested” – it’s because you are waking up with the same damaged brain cells you went to bed with.
Exercise also increases your serotonin levels which will help you sleep.
Exercise and Feeling Better
According to Dr. Maroon, exercise boosts your immunity, and reduces your inflammation – which is the underlying cause of most diseases from heart disease, cancer, diabetes, to Alzheimer’s and other forms of cognitive decline. As for your DNA, exercise helps protect your telomeres from shortening and accelerating aging. On the end of your chromosomes, you have “telomeres” which protect your genes. Think of them as the plastic caps on the end of your shoelaces. You want the caps to stay as intact and as long as possible. If they start to shorten, just like your shoelace starts to fray, your chromosome is more susceptible to damage, and you start to develop diseases.
Aerobic exercise also increases blood flow to your brain, which releases endorphins which elevate your mood. Yoga and Pilates are great for balancing GABA levels to reduce anxiety, according to Dr. Eric Braverman.
Exercise and Better Memory and Focus
First off, exercising increases the size of a part of your brain called the hippocampus. It is in the hippocampus where long-term memories are stored, so you want the biggest one you can have.
Now to get a little into science – exercising also increases what is called “Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor” or BDNF which is a protein or growth factor which serves as the “Miracle Grow” for a process called neurogenesis, or the growing of new brain cells. So, the best time to do any type of “cognitive” tasks is after you exercise, because you have just laid down the fertilizer to grow the new brain cells. It's one of the reasons why they say the morning is the best time to exercise, and then go off to work. If you listen to something on your earbuds while you walk, add the cognitive bonus by making it something you are “learning” not merely listening to. This is called “dual tasking” because you are learning while you are exercising.
You can also do cognitive drills while you walk – time to do your multiplication tables – forward and backward from 100. Also do your alphabet forward and backward, then every other letter forward and backward. If you don’t do something cognitive in conjunction with the exercise, the BDNF will deteriorate.
So, start moving and to get younger (and healthier) today!
Annie Bush