Exercise for Brain’s Sake
Bill Nee
This month’s TED Talk, by neuroscientist Wendy Suzuki, shows the benefit of exercise on brain health. A celebrated international authority on neuroplasticity, Dr. Suzuki researches the science behind the extraordinary, life-changing effects that physical activity can have on the most important organ in the body—the brain.
She says exercise is the most transformative thing one can do for one’s brain to improve attention and sharpness, and to protect against neural degeneration, like Alzheimer’s.
She discusses the science of how working out boosts a person’s mood and memory, and how it can stimulate the brain’s prefrontal lobe and hippocampus.
“Exercising to increase your fitness builds brand new brain cells. It changes your brain’s anatomy, physiology, and function,” she explains.
Dr. Suzuki says that just a walk around the block or a 10-minute online workout will not only improve your day, but also benefit your brain in a lasting way. She recommends aerobic activity, getting your heart rate up at least three to four times per week, for 30 minutes or more.
To view this 13-minute talk, go to TED.com, click “watch” in the header, then “TED Talks,” then in “Search talks” input “The brain-changing benefits of exercise,” scroll a little lower, and click on the talk you selected.
Change the trajectory of your life with exercise.
Tom Struve, a former Mississippi River boat captain, explains the great waterway’s impact during a LLL summer speaker presentation June 25.
Summer Speakers Completed; Fall Planning Underway
Patricia Ingalls
LifeLong Learning’s Speaker Series featured an afternoon presentation this summer in a cool, air-conditioned Renaissance Theater. On June 25, a former Mississippi River boat captain, Tom Struve, informed a large audience about the great waterway and its tributaries, along with the river’s essential commercial aspects.
Now, during this summer break, various teams are working hard, planning programs for the coming season, which begins in October. Here are some of the fun and interesting learning activities ahead.
Classes: Marianne Boechler’s Classes team plans to offer several tried-and-true classes, like the magician series, as well as Gene Fioretti’s cooking series. Exciting, new classes on the horizon include: Antiques Buying and Selling, Code-Breaker Stories Throughout History, Birds of the Sonoran Desert, and Social Security 101.
Trips: Sue Roth’s team is excited about potential trips coming this season, including a holiday trip to Barleens Dinner Theatre, plus trips to Rae Dawn Arabian Stables, ASU Space and Planetary Museum and, maybe, even another popular trip to Luke Air Force Base.
Speakers: Paul Polk’s team is planning both the popular Weekday Speaker Series and several Premier Speakers. Some of the topics will be “Emerging Technology Systems: Life in a Science-Fiction Novel,” “Immigration and the American Dream: ‘We the People’ Today and Tomorrow,” and possibly a real astronaut who has spent time on the Space Station.
All in all, LLL volunteers are preparing a full schedule of learning opportunities. They’ll begin posting full information next month at lifelonglearningatpc.org, as soon as details are confirmed.