Exercise's Brain Benefits

Wendy Suzuki, a Neural Science and Psychology professor at New York University, delivered a talk on exercise and its benefits on the brain for a TED event.

She begins her talk by telling her audience a story about how she's been able to use her deep understanding of neuroscience to do a sort of experiment on herself, in which she discovered why exercise was the most transformative thing one could do for their brain. By monitoring brief bursts of electrical activity in the brain, Suzuki found that exercise dramatically decreased the symptoms of depression she was dealing with, and her mood improved every time she went to a fitness class. When she was well into her fitness program, Suzuki noticed that her attention span was longer, and her memory was better.

Suzuki continues by explaining the brain benefits even a single workout can have, but reiterates the importance of changing one's lifestyle to see long term changes. With her talk on exercise, she breaks down the science behind positive lifestyle changes, and motivates her audience to take the steps they can to better their brains and their bodies. She states that in order to get the benefits she speaks of, it's vital to work out at least three or four times a week for 30 minutes a day, making sure to get the heart rate up.