Exerkines: how exercise supports brain health and longevity with neuroscientist Dr Lila Landowski

We lose brain cells every year after We lose lots of things, but Why is our brain shrinking? — Part of it is that we're not challenging ourselves. our ability to make new brain cells also decreases with age. So, we actually have the ability to make new brain cells. The learning and memory center in the brain has an incredible ability to make new brain cells. But, if we're not challenging ourselves, if we're not exercising, we're not doing all these things physically. Physical exercise is one of the best ways to make these new brain cells. And there's a few reasons for that. It's increasing the production of essentially brain fertilizer. So, things like brain-derived neurotrophic factor. If you're doing resistance exercise, then your bones will release something called osteocalcin, which also affects the brain. So, resistance exercise also fantastic. So, these things will physically increase your brain's ability to make these new brain cells. Because otherwise, naturally, the cells as we age drops down. It's also the increased blood flow to the brain. Cuz when you're exercising, more blood flow goes to the brain, and therefore more blood flow, more oxygen, more nutrients, therefore more brain activity.