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BITESIZE | How 10 Minutes of Exercise a Day Can Improve Mental Health | Dr Brendon Stubbs #166

Mar 19, 2021 10m 32s 12 insights
We all know that exercise is good for our physical health, but exercise can be just as powerful for our mental health. Feel Better Live More Bitesize is my new weekly podcast for your mind, body and heart. Each week I’ll be featuring inspirational stories and practical tips from some of my former guests. Today’s clip is from episode 97 of the podcast with clinical-academic physiotherapist, Brendon Stubbs. His work is helping to provide much needed evidence of what we know instinctively - physical activity makes us feel good. In this clip he explains why movement is not just good for our body, but also for our mind and why you don’t need to exercise for hours to feel the benefits. Just 10 minutes of light exercise a day can result in meaningful changes happening within your brain. Show notes and the full podcast are available at drchatterjee.com/97 Follow me on instagram.com/drchatterjee/ Follow me on facebook.com/DrChatterjee/ Follow me on twitter.com/drchatterjeeuk
Actionable Insights

1. Meet Weekly Activity Guidelines

Aim to meet recommended government guidelines of 30 minutes of physical activity five times a week, or 150 minutes over the course of a week, as this can reduce the risk of developing depression by 30% in the future.

2. Engage in 10 Minutes Light Activity

Engage in just 10 minutes of light activity, such as gentle walking, as it can result in meaningful changes in electrical activity within the hippocampus and other emotional processing areas of the brain today.

3. Sustain Aerobic Exercise

Engage in aerobic exercise over a 12-week period to potentially achieve changes in the volume of the hippocampus, a brain area crucial for memory consolidation and emotion processing, demonstrating neuroplasticity.

4. Embrace Small, Consistent Movements

Don’t let the inability to do intense workouts deter you; instead, focus on making small, consistent changes like getting up and moving every 20-30 minutes or taking short walks for fresh air, as these cumulative actions significantly benefit physical and mental health.

5. Find Enjoyable Physical Activities

For sustained behavioral change in physical activity, prioritize finding something you genuinely enjoy, whether it’s a spin class, HIIT, or a five-minute walk, and then commit to doing it consistently.

6. Reframe Exercise Motivation

Reframe your perspective on movement and exercise, focusing less on appearance and weight, and more on its profound benefits for mental well-being, brain structure changes, and nerve cell creation.

7. Incorporate AG1 Daily

Consider incorporating AG1, a daily health drink, into your routine to support digestion and enrich your gut microbiome with five clinically tested strains of beneficial bacteria, which can increase beneficial bacteria up to tenfold.

8. Utilize AG1 Subscription Offer

For a limited time, get a free AG1 flavor sampler, AGZ sampler, free vitamin D3 and K2, and an AG1 welcome kit with your first AG1 subscription order by visiting drinkag1.com/livemore.

9. Subscribe to Friday Five Email

Sign up for the ‘Friday Five’ email at drchastity.com/FridayFive to receive a weekly dose of positivity, including articles, books, quotes, and research not shared on social media.

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11. Listen to Full Conversations

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