Exercise, Brain Health and Cognitive Aging with Dr. Lauren Oberlin

Over the past few decades, we’ve learned more than ever about the connection between the brain and the body. Advances in technology have given researchers new ways to understand what happens in the brain during exercise and how physical activity may influence cognitive health. In this episode, I’m joined by Dr. Lauren Oberlin, a researcher at Weill Cornell Medicine who studies the relationships between physical activity, fitness, brain health, and cognitive aging. We explore what happens in the brain during and after exercise, how cardiorespiratory fitness relates to cognition, and what researchers are learning through neuroimaging and blood-based biomarkers. We also discuss dementia and cognitive decline, the hippocampus, white matter, motor learning, motivation, and whether being physically fit necessarily protects us from cognitive decline. Together, we explore how exercise may influence the brain—and what we still need to learn about the relationship between movement, cognition, and healthy aging. (1:08) Introduction (3:22) Dementia vs. Cognitive Decline (6:27) How Exercise Affects Dementia & Cognitive Decline (7:49) What Happens in the Brain During Exercise? (12:28) Why Developmental Years Matter (15:53) How Motor & Cognitive Processes Intersect in the Brain (17:08) The Impact of Aerobic Exercise on the Brain (22:48) What Mechanisms Are at Work? (24:38) How Much Exercise Does the Brain Need? (27:51) The Short-Term Effects of Exercise on the Brain (29:53) The Evolution of Neuroimaging (35:16) What Can Blood Biomarkers Tell Us? (42:07) Can Fit People Still Develop Dementia? (43:08) Learning & Motor Learning (44:58) Sex Differences in Brain & Exercise Research (46:43) The Role of Motivation #ExerciseAndTheBrain#BrainHealth#CognitiveHealth#HealthyAging#MovementAndPerformance