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We spend so much time focusing on how exercise changes our bodies - burning calories, building muscle, shedding fat. What if the most important transformation is happening where you can’t see it? Hidden inside your skull, your brain is changing with every step, squat, and sprint.
Neuroscientist Dr. Wendy Suzuki has spent years uncovering how movement rewires the brain. As a professor at NYU and an expert in neuroplasticity, Wendy’s research reveals how aerobic exercise boosts memory, sharpens focus, and even builds a protective barrier against dementia. Just one daily workout could reduce your risk of cognitive decline by up to 30%.
In this episode, Wendy explains what happens inside your brain when you move, why it’s never too late to strengthen your mind, and the powerful ways exercise can slow brain aging. You’ll also discover simple, science-backed habits - including her own brain-boosting routine - to help you stay mentally sharp for years to come.
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Timecodes
00:00 World-leading neuroscientist Dr. Wendy Suzuki
03:40 Why do memories stick?
04:25 The power of your amygdala
06:11 Different types of memories
08:50 Daily habits to improve memory
10:45 Old age and memory loss
13:56 Why the elderly remember distant memories
15:27 Is memory loss the same as Alzheimer's?
16:08 Why stress can be healthy
17:55 Is brain decline inevitable?
19:59 Close look at a REAL human brain!
26:30 How the brain is protected
32:02 Does the brain shrink?
33:50 How to prevent brain decline
34:43 Learning an instrument can grow your brain
36:42 Healthy chemicals released during exercise
37:40 How exercise improves your pre-frontal cortex
40:30 Why a big hippocampus reduces Alzheimer's risk
41:25 Scientific studies on exercise and dementia risk
45:23 The 2 most common effects of exercise on the brain
50:10 More steps or faster steps?
51:48 Exercise for THIS long to improve brain function
53:45 Eat your way to a sharper mind?
58:44 How to track your changes
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Free resources from ZOE:
Live Healthier: Top 10 Tips From ZOE Science & Nutrition | https://zoe.com/freeguide
Gut Guide - For a Healthier Microbiome in Weeks | https://zoe.com/gutguide
Studies referenced in today's episode:
London taxi drivers and bus drivers: a structural MRI and neuropsychological analysis, 2006, published in Hippocampus https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17024677/
Bigger is better! Hippocampal volume and declarative memory performance in healthy young men, 2012, published in Brain Structure and Function https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3889822/
The effects of acute exercise on cognitive performance: a meta-analysis, 2012, published in Brain Research https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22480735/
The effect of acute aerobic exercise on positive activated affect: A meta-analysis, 2006, published in Psychology of Sport and Exercise https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22480735/
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Episode transcripts are available here: https://zoe.com/learn/category/podcasts