Neuroscientist Wendy Suzuki says the most transformative thing that you can do for your brain today is exercise! Suzuki discusses the science of how exercise boosts your mood and memory and has long term protective effects against neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s.
While Suzuki says the minimum amount is 30 minutes 3-4 times a week that includes cardiovascular exercise to raise your heart rate not everyone has this ability to achieve this when first starting out. My advice is to take it slowly. Start with 11 minutes 3x a week and build up. Exercise should not leave you feeling drained and fatigued. You should feel energized. If you are feeling fatigued the next day then you have over done it. Pull back and find the sweet spot.
A popular form of exercise called Tabata exercise, named after Japanese scientist Izumi Tabata, has been found to be highly beneficial in improving cardiorespiratory endurance. Tabata workouts consist of high intensity intervals (20 seconds) followed by intervals of rest (10 seconds) for relatively short durations 10-30 minutes. YouTube has lots of options, starting at only 10 minutes. The best part about this, you don’t need to go to the gym, do it at home or when you travel. No excuses. For some, knowing they have that 10 seconds of rest after 20 seconds of working out is a huge motivator. You can do anything for 20 seconds!
What is the best form of exercise? The best exercise is the one that you will do.