What if I told you there was something that you can do right now that would have an immediate, positive benefit for your brain including your mood and your focus? And what if I told you that same thing could actually last a long time and protect your brain from different conditions like depression, Alzheimer's disease or dementia. Would you do it? Yes!
E se vos dixera que hai algo que podedes facer agora mesmo que tería un efecto positivo e inmediato no voso cerebro, no voso humor e concentración? E se vos dixera que pode durar moito tempo e protexer o voso cerebro de varias enfermidades como a depresión, o alzhéimer ou a demencia? Fariádelo? Si!
I am talking about the powerful effects of physical activity. Simply moving your body, has immediate, long-lasting and protective benefits for your brain. And that can last for the rest of your life. So what I want to do today is tell you a story about how I used my deep understanding of neuroscience, as a professor of neuroscience, to essentially do an experiment on myself in which I discovered the science underlying why exercise is the most transformative thing that you can do for your brain today. Now, as a neuroscientist, I know that our brains, that is the thing in our head right now, that is the most complex structure known to humankind. But it's one thing to talk about the brain, and it's another to see it.
Estou a falar dos poderosos efectos da actividade física. O simple feito de mover o corpo ten efectos inmediatos, protectores e de longa duración no cerebro. E poden durar o resto da vosa vida. Hoxe quero contarvos unha historia sobre como empreguei os meus coñecementos de neurociencia, como profesora de neurociencia, basicamente para facer un experimento comigo mesma no que descubrín os fundamentos que explican por que o exercicio é o máis transformador que podedes facer hoxe polo voso cerebro. Agora ben, como neurocientífica sei que o noso cerebro, é dicir, o que hai dentro da nosa cabeza agora mesmo, é a estrutura máis complexa coñecida pola humanidade. Pero unha cousa é falar do cerebro e outra é velo.
So here is a real preserved human brain. And it's going to illustrate two key areas that we are going to talk about today. The first is the prefrontal cortex, right behind your forehead, critical for things like decision-making, focus, attention and your personality. The second key area is located in the temporal lobe, shown right here. You have two temporal lobes in your brain, the right and the left, and deep in the temporal lobe is a key structure critical for your ability to form and retain new long-term memories for facts and events. And that structure is called the hippocampus. So I've always been fascinated with the hippocampus. How could it be that an event that lasts just a moment, say, your first kiss, or the moment your first child was born, can form a memory that has changed your brain, that lasts an entire lifetime? That's what I want to understand. I wanted to start and record the activity of individual brain cells in the hippocampus as subjects were forming new memories. And essentially try and decode how those brief bursts of electrical activity, which is how neurons communicate with each other, how those brief bursts either allowed us to form a new memory, or did not.
Aquí podedes ver un cerebro humano real conservado. Mostra dúas áreas chave das que imos falar hoxe. A primeira é o córtex prefrontal, xusto detrás da fronte, fundamental para a toma de decisións, concentración, atención ou personalidade. A segunda área chave atópase no lobo temporal, que vemos aquí. Tendes dous lobos temporais no cerebro, o dereito e o esquerdo, e no fondo do lobo temporal hai unha estrutura chave que é crucial para a capacidade de formar e reter novos recordos a longo prazo sobre feitos e sucesos. Esa estrutura chámase hipocampo. O hipocampo sempre me cativou. Como pode ser que un suceso que dura só un intre, coma o primeiro bico ou o nacemento do primeiro fillo, poida formar unha lembranza que cambie o cerebro para toda a vida? Iso é o que quero entender. Quería rexistrar a actividade de neuronas individuais no hipocampo mentres os suxeitos formaban novos recordos. E tentar descifrar como eses estalidos de actividade eléctrica, que é como as neuronas se comunican unhas con outras, como eses estalidos ou ben nos permitían formar unha lembranza, ou non.
But a few years ago, I did something very unusual in science. As a full professor of neural science, I decided to completely switch my research program. Because I encountered something that was so amazing, with the potential to change so many lives that I had to study it. I discovered and I experienced the brain-changing effects of exercise. And I did it in a completely inadvertent way. I was actually at the height of all the memory work that I was doing -- data was pouring in, I was becoming known in my field for all of this memory work. And it should have been going great. It was, scientifically. But when I stuck my head out of my lab door, I noticed something. I had no social life. I spent too much time listening to those brain cells in a dark room, by myself. (Laughter) I didn't move my body at all. I had gained 25 pounds. And actually, it took me many years to realize it, I was actually miserable. And I shouldn't be miserable. And I went on a river-rafting trip -- by myself, because I had no social life. And I came back --
Pero hai uns anos fixen algo pouco habitual en ciencia. Como catedrática de neurociencia, decidín cambiar completamente o meu programa de investigación. Foi porque atopei algo tan incrible con potencial para mudar tantas vidas que tiña que estudalo. Descubrín e experimentei cambios no cerebro debidos ao exercicio. E fíxeno de xeito totalmente accidental. A verdade é que estaba no cume do meu traballo sobre a memoria, non paraba de xurdir información, estaba facéndome coñecida no meu campo con todo este traballo da memoria. E tería que ir xenial. Cientificamente, ía xenial. Pero cando asomei a cabeza fóra do meu laboratorio decateime de algo. Non tiña vida social. Pasaba demasiado tempo escoitando a esas neuronas nun cuarto escuro eu soa. (Risas) Non movía nada o corpo. Gañara 10 quilos. E levoume moitos anos decatarme de que era moi infeliz. E non debería ser infeliz. Fun soa a unha excursión de balsismo porque non tiña vida social. E volvín
(Laughter)
(Risas)
thinking, "Oh, my God, I was the weakest person on that trip." And I came back with a mission. I said, "I'm never going to feel like the weakest person on a river-rafting trip again." And that's what made me go to the gym. And I focused my type-A personality on going to all the exercise classes at the gym. I tried everything. I went to kickbox, dance, yoga, step class, and at first it was really hard. But what I noticed is that after every sweat-inducing workout that I tried, I had this great mood boost and this great energy boost. And that's what kept me going back to the gym. Well, I started feeling stronger. I started feeling better, I even lost that 25 pounds.
pensando: "mi madriña, a máis débil da excursión era eu". E volvín cunha misión. Dixen: "nunca máis me vou sentir a persoa máis débil nunha excursión de balsismo". E iso fíxome ir ao ximnasio. E centrei a miña personalidade de tipo A en ir a tódalas clases de exercicio no ximnasio. Probei todo. Fun a <i>kickboxing</i>, baile, ioga, clases de <i>step</i>, e o comezo foi moi duro. Pero decateime de que tras cada adestramento o meu estado de ánimo e enerxía melloraban moitísimo. E iso facíame seguir indo ao ximnasio. Comecei a me sentir máis forte. Comecei a me sentir mellor e ata perdín eses 10 quilos.
And now, fast-forward a year and a half into this regular exercise program and I noticed something that really made me sit up and take notice. I was sitting at my desk, writing a research grant, and a thought went through my mind that had never gone through my mind before. And that thought was, "Gee, grant-writing is going well today." And all the scientists --
Agora, despois dun ano e medio con este programa de exercicio, decateime de algo que me fixo erguerme e prestar atención. Estaba redactando a solicitude dunhas axudas á investigación e veume un pensamento á mente que nunca me viñera antes. E ese pensamento era "Que ben vai hoxe a redacción de solicitudes de axudas!" E tódolos científicos...
(Laughter)
(Risas)
yeah, all the scientists always laugh when I say that, because grant-writing never goes well. It is so hard; you're always pulling your hair out, trying to come up with that million-dollar-winning idea. But I realized that the grant-writing was going well, because I was able to focus and maintain my attention for longer than I had before. And my long-term memory -- what I was studying in my own lab -- seemed to be better in me. And that's when I put it together.
Tódolos científicos se rin cando o digo porque redactar de solicitudes nunca vai ben. É tan difícil, que queres arrincar os pelos da cabeza tentando pensar nunha idea millonaria. Pero deime conta de que as solicitudes ían ben porque era quen de concentrarme e manter a atención durante máis tempo que antes. E a miña memoria a longo prazo, o que estaba a estudar no meu laboratorio, parecía funcionarme mellor. Entón atei cabos.
Maybe all that exercise that I had included and added to my life was changing my brain. Maybe I did an experiment on myself without even knowing it. So as a curious neuroscientist, I went to the literature to see what I could find about what we knew about the effects of exercise on the brain. And what I found was an exciting and a growing literature that was essentially showing everything that I noticed in myself. Better mood, better energy, better memory, better attention. And the more I learned, the more I realized how powerful exercise was. Which eventually led me to the big decision to completely shift my research focus. And so now, after several years of really focusing on this question, I've come to the following conclusion: that exercise is the most transformative thing that you can do for your brain today for the following three reasons.
Se cadra todo o exercicio que lle engadira á miña vida cambiara o meu cerebro. Se cadra fixera un experimento comigo sen sequera me decatar. Como boa neurocientífica curiosa, fun á bibliografía a ver que atopaba sobre o que se sabía dos efectos do exercicio no cerebro. E atopei un incrible e crecente número de fontes que ilustraban todo o que eu notara en min mesma. Mellor humor, enerxía, memoria e atención. E canto máis aprendía, máis me decataba do poderoso que era o exercicio. Isto acaboume levando á gran decisión de mudar completamente o enfoque da miña investigación. E agora, varios anos despois de centrarme nesta cuestión, cheguei á seguinte conclusión: o exercicio é o máis transformador que podedes facer hoxe polo voso cerebro polas tres razóns seguintes.
Number one: it has immediate effects on your brain. A single workout that you do will immediately increase levels of neurotransmitters like dopamine, serotonin and noradrenaline. That is going to increase your mood right after that workout, exactly what I was feeling. My lab showed that a single workout can improve your ability to shift and focus attention, and that focus improvement will last for at least two hours. And finally, studies have shown that a single workout will improve your reaction times which basically means that you are going to be faster at catching that cup of Starbucks that falls off the counter, which is very, very important.
Número un: ten efectos inmediatos no voso cerebro. Adestrar unha soa vez aumentará inmediatamente os niveis de neurotransmisores como dopamina, serotonina e noradrenalina. Iso mellorará o voso humor xusto ao rematar o adestramento, exactamente o que eu sentía. O meu laboratorio amosou que un só adestramento pode mellorar a vosa capacidade para desprazar e centrar a atención, e esa mellora na concentración durará polo menos dúas horas. Finalmente, os estudos amosan que un só adestramento mellorará a vosa velocidade de reacción, o que significa que ides ser máis rápidos collendo a cunca de Starbucks que está a caer da barra, e iso é importantísimo.
(Laughter)
(Risas)
But these immediate effects are transient, they help you right after. What you have to do is do what I did, that is change your exercise regime, increase your cardiorespiratory function, to get the long-lasting effects. And these effects are long-lasting because exercise actually changes the brain's anatomy, physiology and function. Let's start with my favorite brain area, the hippocampus. The hippocampus -- or exercise actually produces brand new brain cells, new brain cells in the hippocampus, that actually increase its volume, as well as improve your long-term memory, OK? And that including in you and me.
Pero estes efectos inmediatos son transitorios, axudan no momento. Tendes que facer o que fixen eu, cambiar o voso plan de exercicio, aumentar a función cardiorrespiratoria para obter os efectos de longa duración. Estes efectos son de longa duración porque o exercicio cambia de verdade a anatomía do cerebro, a súa fisioloxía e a súa función. Comecemos coa miña área favorita do cerebro, o hipocampo. O hipocampo, ou máis ben o exercicio, crea novas neuronas, novas neuronas que aumentan o seu volume ao tempo que melloran a memoria a longo prazo, a vosa e máis a miña.
Number two: the most common finding in neuroscience studies, looking at effects of long-term exercise, is improved attention function dependent on your prefrontal cortex. You not only get better focus and attention, but the volume of the hippocampus increases as well. And finally, you not only get immediate effects of mood with exercise but those last for a long time. So you get long-lasting increases in those good mood neurotransmitters.
Número dous: a descuberta máis común nos estudos de neurociencia sobre os efectos do exercicio a longo prazo é a mellora na función de atención que depende do córtex prefrontal. Non só obtedes mellor concentración e atención senón que o volume do hipocampo tamén aumenta. E finalmente, non só obtedes efectos inmediatos no humor co exercicio, senón que duran moito máis. Obtedes incrementos de longa duración neses neurotransmisores do bo humor.
But really, the most transformative thing that exercise will do is its protective effects on your brain. Here you can think about the brain like a muscle. The more you're working out, the bigger and stronger your hippocampus and prefrontal cortex gets. Why is that important? Because the prefrontal cortex and the hippocampus are the two areas that are most susceptible to neurodegenerative diseases and normal cognitive decline in aging. So with increased exercise over your lifetime, you're not going to cure dementia or Alzheimer's disease, but what you're going to do is you're going to create the strongest, biggest hippocampus and prefrontal cortex so it takes longer for these diseases to actually have an effect. You can think of exercise, therefore, as a supercharged 401K for your brain, OK? And it's even better, because it's free.
Pero, en realidade, o máis transformador do exercicio é o seu efecto protector do cerebro. Podedes pensar no cerebro coma nun músculo. Canto máis adestredes, máis grandes e fortes se volven o hipocampo e o córtex prefrontal. Por que é importante? Porque o córtex prefrontal e o hipocampo son as dúas áreas máis susceptíbeis ante as enfermidades neurodexenerativas e a deterioración cognitiva normal da idade. Así que con máis exercicio ao longo da vosa vida non ides curar a demencia ou o alzhéimer, pero si ides facer o hipocampo e o córtex prefrontal máis grandes e fortes polo que a estas enfermidades lles levará máis tempo facer efecto. Entón, podedes pensar no exercicio coma nun superplan de pensións para o voso cerebro. E é aínda mellor, porque é de balde.
So this is the point in the talk where everybody says, "That sounds so interesting, Wendy, but I really will only want to know one thing. And that is, just tell me the minimum amount of exercise I need to get all these changes."
Este é o momento da conferencia en que todo o mundo di: "Que interesante, Wendy, pero só me importa unha cousa. Só quero que me digas a cantidade mínima de exercicio que preciso para obter estes cambios."
(Laughter)
(Risas)
And so I'm going to tell you the answer to that question. First, good news: you don't have to become a triathlete to get these effects. The rule of thumb is you want to get three to four times a week exercise minimum 30 minutes an exercise session, and you want to get aerobic exercise in. That is, get your heart rate up. And the good news is, you don't have to go to the gym to get a very expensive gym membership. Add an extra walk around the block in your power walk. You see stairs -- take stairs. And power-vacuuming can be as good as the aerobics class that you were going to take at the gym.
Así que vou responder a esa pregunta. Boas novas: non hai que ser triatleta para obter estes efectos. Como regra xeral, hai que adestrar tres ou catro veces á semana durante un mínimo de 30 minutos por sesión e hai que facer exercicio aeróbico. É dicir, acelerar o ritmo cardíaco. E a boa nova é que non precisades ir ao ximnasio e pagar unha cota carísima. Engadídelle unha volta máis á vosa camiñada. Se vedes escaleiras, subídeas. Pasar a aspiradora a bo ritmo pode ser tan bo coma a clase de aeróbic á que queriades ir no ximnasio.
So I've gone from memory pioneer to exercise explorer. From going into the innermost workings of the brain, to trying to understand how exercise can improve our brain function, and my goal in my lab right now is to go beyond that rule of thumb that I just gave you -- three to four times a week, 30 minutes. I want to understand the optimum exercise prescription for you, at your age, at your fitness level, for your genetic background, to maximize the effects of exercise today and also to improve your brain and protect your brain the best for the rest of your life.
Pasei de pioneira da memoria a exploradora do exercicio. Pasei do funcionamento máis recóndito do cerebro a tentar entender como o exercicio pode mellorar o funcionamento do cerebro e o meu obxectivo no meu laboratorio agora mesmo é ir máis alá da regra xeral da que falei --3 ou 4 veces á semana, 30 minutos--. Quero entender a cantidade óptima de exercicio para vós, á vosa idade, coa vosa condición física e cos vosos antecedentes xenéticos, para maximizar os efectos do exercicio hoxe e tamén para mellorar o cerebro e protexelo o mellor posible durante o resto da vosa vida.
But it's one thing to talk about exercise, and it's another to do it. So I'm going to invoke my power as a certified exercise instructor, to ask you all to stand up.
Pero unha cousa é falar de exercicio e outra é facelo. Vou empregar o meu poder como instrutora de exercicio cualificada para pedirvos que vos levantedes.
(Laughter)
(Risas)
We're going to do just one minute of exercise. It's call-and-response, just do what I do, say what I say, and make sure you don't punch your neighbor, OK? Music!
Imos facer un só minuto de exercicio. Facede o que eu faga e dicide o que eu diga e tende coidado de non lle pegar ao veciño. Música!
(Upbeat music)
(Música animada)
Five, six, seven, eight, it's right, left, right, left. And I say, I am strong now. Let's hear you.
Cinco, seis, sete, oito, dereita, esquerda, dereita, esquerda. E digo: agora son forte. Agora vós.
Audience: I am strong now.
Público: agora son forte.
Wendy Suzuki: Ladies, I am Wonder Woman-strong. Let's hear you!
Wendy Suzuki: mozas, son forte coma a Muller Marabilla. Agora vós.
Audience: I am Wonder Woman-strong.
Público: son forte coma a Muller Marabilla.
WS: New move -- uppercut, right and left. I am inspired now. You say it!
WS: movemento novo, gancho, dereita e esquerda. Agora estoume motivando. Tócavos!
Audience: I am inspired now.
Público: agora estoume motivando.
WS: Last move -- pull it down, right and left, right and left. I say, I am on fire now! You say it.
WS: último movemento, cara a abaixo, dereita e esquerda, dereita e esquerda. Estou que me saio! Agora vós.
Audience: I am on fire now.
Público: estou que me saio.
WS: And done! OK, good job!
WS: Xa está! Ben feito!
(Applause)
(Aplauso)
Thank you. I want to leave you with one last thought. And that is, bringing exercise in your life will not only give you a happier, more protective life today, but it will protect your brain from incurable diseases. And in this way it will change the trajectory of your life for the better.
Grazas. Vouvos deixar cunha última idea. Incluír o exercicio na vosa vida non só vos protexerá e vos fará máis felices hoxe senón que tamén protexerá o voso cerebro de enfermidades incurables. E dese xeito mudará a traxectoria da vosa vida para mellor.
Thank you very much.
Moitas grazas.
(Applause)
(Aplausos)
Thank you.
Grazas.
(Applause)
(Aplausos)