I hope you had a chance to watch some or perhaps all of the Broken Brain docuseries. I thought the information was fascinating but also a bit scary! The number of people that suffer from some type of brain dysfunction is staggering. However, there is hope! If we start taking steps now, many of our “broken brain” symptoms can be reversed. Honestly, I was so relieved to hear that. Just the other day I came out of a store and had to stop and think where I parked my car! Thank goodness I spotted it before I had to activate the car alarm in order to find it!! I can laugh about it now, but at the time I was a little concerned. I consider myself relatively young (56 is still young, right?) so I don’t want my brain to start giving out on me just yet. I suspect many of you may feel the same way.
So, what can we do to fix our broken brains? According to Dr. Hyman and many other leading experts, diet and exercise are at the top of the list. We all know that exercise is great for strengthening the body, but how does it affect our brain health? For starters, raising your heart rate increases blood flow to all parts of the body including the brain. It will also increase your levels of growth factor which are chemicals in the brain that affect the health and survival of our brain cells. Aerobic exercise can boost the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex which are the areas of the brain responsible for longterm memory. Sounds great, doesn’t it? Ready to lace up your shoes and get out there?
There are all sorts of studies being done on the best type of exercise and the amount of time you need to spend exercising. The key is to do something that raises your heart rate enough to break a sweat. That is when the magic happens. As far as the amount of time, there seems to be a consensus that 150 minutes per week is optimal. That may sound like a lot if you are just starting out, but consider it this way….30 minutes 5 days/week. Pretty reasonable, don’t you think? You can even break it down to two 15 minute sessions per day.
When my clients ask me what type of exercise is the best, my answer is always the same…”the one that you will do!!” In other words, pick something you love. If you are going to spend 150 minutes doing an activity, you might as well have some fun doing it, right?
The type of exercise that seemed to be a favorite amongst the brain experts is called High Intensity Interval Training or HIIT for short. I used to do this type of training years ago when I was doing some bike racing. Back then it was just called interval training and I would spend hours doing it. Fast forward to today and instead of spending hours, you can actually accomplish a HIIT workout in 20-30 minutes.
High-intensity interval workouts are short bursts of high intensity followed by a short recovery phase. On a scale of 1-10, your burst of high intensity should be about an 8 or 9. It is fairly easy to incorporate a HIIT workout into most exercise plans. However, if you are new to exercising, I would not recommend jumping into a HIIT workout. Take some time to get acclimated and then you can add in some interval work. Always begin your workout with at least a 10 minute warm up. A good starting point for an interval would be a 30 second burst followed by a 30 second rest. Try repeating this sequence 5 times. Be sure to cool down for at least 10 minutes after the last interval. HIIT workouts should be done no more than 2-3 times per week. This will allow your body sufficient recovery.
As with any exercise plan, it is important to listen to your body. If a 30 second interval seems too easy, try a 1 minute interval. If you are gasping for air after 15 seconds, then start with that. Have faith…you will get stronger.
In an effort to boost my brain, I decided to give HIIT a try. I love to exercise outside either biking or walking so my first HIIT workout was on my bike. I started with 30 second intervals. I did 5 repetitions and I was definitely sweating at the end! My next workout was on my morning walk. It was a little harder to get my heart rate in the zone so I found a steep hill that was perfect for intervals. When I did my next HIIT workout on my bike, I was pleasantly surprised that I was able to hold a 45 second interval for 6 reps. See, I told you that you will get stronger! And, the rush of adrenaline from the workout kept my energy level high all day!
So, the HIIT workout gets a thumbs up from me. Not only does it break up a stagnant exercise routine, it boosts your brain and your energy! Sounds like a win win.
Just in case you are hungry after your workout, check out the photo below for some of my favorite protein bars made with whole food ingredients and no added sugar. No matter what kind of diet you are on, you will certainly find that one of these bars will work for you. They come in a variety of flavors and you can find them at your favorite health food store or online.
If you have any questions about exercising for your brain or what to eat afterwards, reply to this email and let’s chat.
Food For Thought
Thunderbird Real Food Bar
Rawkin Raw Superfood Blonde Macaroon
Health Warrior Super Food Bar
GROW Raw Plant Protein Bar
Mediterra Savory Bar
Primal Kitchen
Elemental Superfood Seedbar
