Why You Need to Start Exercising to Grow Your Brain, Stave Off Alzheimer's, and Protect Your Heart

Dhru Purohit Show

Dhru Purohit

Medicine, Health & Fitness, Alternative Health

4.7 • 3.4K Ratings

🗓️ 17 November 2025

⏱️ 28 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

This episode is brought to you by Branch Basics, Masa Chips, and iRestore. Exercise is beneficial for your body, but it may be even more crucial for your brain. Today’s guest breaks down how movement fuels brain cell growth, protects against cognitive decline, and helps counter the effects of our overly sedentary modern lifestyles. Today on The Dhru Purohit Show, we’re revisiting one of our most talked-about moments with neurophysiologist Louisa Nicola to explore the latest science on movement, brain health, and cognitive decline. She shares how different types of movement help grow and strengthen neural connections, and why a sedentary lifestyle can be so damaging. Louisa also breaks down how beginners can approach movement safely and sustainably, as well as how aerobic exercise supports both brain and heart health. In this episode, Dhru and Louisa dive into: Why sitting too much skyrockets your Alzheimer’s risk (1:00) How exercise forges stronger, faster synaptic connections (3:00) Rethinking movement for brain health: a beginner’s roadmap (5:00) The sweet spot for daily steps and how it boosts your brain (13:21) The unique neurodegeneration risks women face (15:53) How aerobic exercise strengthens an aging heart (20:55) The wild science of how exercise can reshape your brain’s gray matter (25:25) Also mentioned: Full episode with Louisa Nicola This episode is brought to you by Branch Basics, Masa Chips, and iRestore. Right now, Branch Basics is offering 15% off the Premium Starter Kit; just go to branchbasics.com and use the coupon code DHRU. Make 2025 your cleanest, healthiest year yet with Branch Basics! Ready to enjoy my favorite chips made with just three clean ingredients? Head to masachips.com/DHRU and use code DHRU for 25% off your first order. Hair loss is frustrating. Give yourself the gift of hair confidence. For a limited time, my listeners get an exclusive discount on the iRestore Elite using the link irestore.com with code DHRU. Sign up for Dhru’s Try This Newsletter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hi everyone, Drew Brode here. We all know that exercise is good for the body. But when was the last
0:05.0	time you really thought about how movement or lack of it is impacting your brain health? I'm talking
0:09.9	about things like growing new brain cells, improving memory, boosting mood, and even reducing
0:15.5	your risk of Alzheimer's disease. In today's episode, I'm exploring this topic in a segment with
0:20.4	my conversation with
0:21.5	Louisa Nicola. She's an Australian-born neurophysiologist and sports scientist who's made
0:27.0	significant strides in the field of brain performance and human potential. In 2016, she founded
0:33.4	neuroathletics, a consulting firm dedicated to optimizing brain health and performance for
0:37.8	athletes, executives, and high performers from all across the world. And her innovative methods
0:42.3	improve reaction times, decision making, and mental acuity. All things we want, right? And one of
0:47.4	the best ways to get it is to be stepping into the science of how movement is medicine for your
0:53.2	brain. So let's dive into my featured section
0:56.2	from my conversation with Louisa Nicola.
1:03.2	Let's talk about the intersection of exercise or lack of exercise and the brain. I don't know
1:10.1	many people that know as much about this topic
1:12.9	and the combination of those two as you.
1:15.4	We'll talk about your story in a second,
1:17.0	but first, tell us why a sedentary lifestyle
1:19.7	is so damaging for the brain,
1:22.1	but also is so likely to increase your risk
1:26.2	of getting Alzheimer's one day?
1:28.0	The most powerful intervention that we have to slow the progression of these disease states is exercise.
	...

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