Move your body to stimulate the release of growth factors like BDNF, which directly helps grow brand new brain cells in the hippocampus, critical for long-term memory and imagination.
Engage in regular exercise throughout your lifetime, doing as much as you can for as long as you can, to protect the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex from aging effects and potentially delay dementia by years.
Start each day with 30 minutes of cardio and weights to release neurochemicals (dopamine, serotonin, noradrenaline) and growth factors, enhancing focus, happiness, motivation, creativity, and sharpening prefrontal cortex functions for work.
Walk for at least 10 minutes daily to significantly decrease anxiety and depression levels and increase positive mood states, as this releases beneficial neurochemicals similar to those in antidepressants.
Incorporating very short exercise sessions (e.g., 5 minutes) into existing daily routines, such as while coffee brews, makes it easy to adhere to consistently and avoid distractions.
Build a lasting exercise habit by consistently performing a manageable duration of physical activity every day, ensuring it doesn’t tire you out and sticks with you long-term.
Understand that physical activity offers benefits far beyond physical health, making you more creative, productive, happy, motivated, and improving memory and overall cognitive function.
Recognize that mood change is one of the most consistent and strongest positive effects of physical activity, making it a reliable tool for improving emotional well-being.
Focus on activities that support the hippocampus, as it is the brain’s critical memory area, defines personal histories, and is one of the only two adult brain regions where new cells grow.