Change Your Brain: #1 Neuroscientist’s Exercise Protocol for Peak Energy and Focus

1. 0:00 – 4:28

   Introduction

   1. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki0:01

      This is a real preserved human brain. Her name is Betty.

   2. MRMel Robbins0:13

      Holy cow.

   3. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki0:16

      Can I give you some gloves?

   4. MRMel Robbins0:17

      (laughs) Oh my god.

   5. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki0:19

      There you go.

   6. MRMel Robbins0:20

      Ooh. Ooh, okay.

   7. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki0:22

      Okay?

   8. MRMel Robbins0:23

      I do- I don't wanna drop her. Oh, it's lighter... (gasps) No, it's not. (laughs) It's heavier...

   9. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki0:29

      It's heavier.

   10. MRMel Robbins0:29

       ... than I thought.

   11. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki0:29

       I have no idea-

   12. MRMel Robbins0:30

       I can't believe this was in a person. What does the power of moving your body do to your brain?

   13. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki0:35

       Every single time you move your body, you are releasing.

   14. MRMel Robbins0:39

       Can you explain why exercise increases your energy?

   15. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki0:44

       One of my favorite findings is, as Japanese-Americans, we don't say, "I love you" to each other, but when my father had this, uh, dementia diagnosis, um, I thought, "Gosh, you know what? I- I wanna start saying it." I had the conversation with my dad, and it was a little less awkward with him because I knew my mom said yes and I, I knew my dad would say yes. The reason why I started telling this story is that the following week, I called back again, and my I love you with my mother was significantly less awkward, but, um, my father said, "I love you" first, and he remembered, after a whole week. H- he was in the middle of dementia. He didn't remember anything, but he remembered that we had agreed to say, "I love you," and he said it first. The emotional resonance of his adult daughter asking for the very first time to say, "I love you," it formed a new memory in my dad, and, um, that, that was obviously something that I'll always remember.

   16. MRMel Robbins1:52

       Oh my god.

   17. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki1:53

       (laughs)

   18. MRMel Robbins1:53

       I'm just crying over the brain for crying out loud. I, I, um... (clock ticking) Hey, it's your friend Mel. I am so excited that you're here. It is always an honor to spend time with you and to be together. If you're brand new, welcome to the Mel Robbins Podcast family. And I also wanna acknowledge you for something. Thank you for choosing to spend time listening to something that could truly help you live a better life. I just think that's so cool. And today's guest is someone I have been wanting to sit down with ever since I started this podcast. Who am I talking about? Dr. Wendy Suzuki. Dr. Suzuki is a world-renowned neuroscientist and the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at New York University. She is a leading researcher known for her groundbreaking research in the areas of memory, brain plasticity, and the simple things that you can do every single day to improve your learning, focus, memory, and brain power. She's also a pioneer in researching how moving your body and exercising improves your brain health, and what I love about Dr. Suzuki is that she's just one of those kind of people that you wanna hang out with. She's super cool and she makes neuroscience easy to understand. She's so passionate about it, and she has this unbelievable ability to make neuroscience personal and profound. So please help me welcome Dr. Wendy Suzuki to our Boston studios.

   19. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki3:21

       Thank you for having me. I cannot tell you what a big fan I am of this podcast and of your teachings and on Audible, and so thank you.

   20. MRMel Robbins3:32

       Really?

   21. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki3:32

       Yes, absolutely.

   22. MRMel Robbins3:33

       Holy cow. I have a brain crush on you.

   23. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki3:36

       (laughs)

   24. MRMel Robbins3:36

       So that's, that's a really amazing compliment. Thank you. And what I love about the work that you share is that all of this stuff is free and accessible-

   25. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki3:45

       Exactly.

   26. MRMel Robbins3:45

       ... and things that you can put to use as soon as you listen to this.

   27. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki3:49

       Yes. You, you named the thing that is also my favorite thing. You don't have to have lots of money or, or influence. You just need to decide to do these things in your life today, and you have access to the power of neurobiology to change how your brain works.

   28. MRMel Robbins4:08

       I have to say, if you're listening to this and not watching YouTube, she is exploding with energy and vitality, and I am so excited to dig into this because you not only walk the talk, as you say, but you can feel it in

2. 4:28 – 6:09

   What you can do today that will change your brain forever.

   1. MRMel Robbins4:28

      the energy that you bring just by how you're moving through your day-to-day life. And one of the things that I also love about your work is that some of the simple changes in the science that you're about to share with us today can impact somebody's mood, or focus, or wellbeing starting today.

   2. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki4:45

      Absolutely.

   3. MRMel Robbins4:46

      Can you speak a little bit to that, like what somebody might expect as a, an immediate impact?

   4. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki4:50

      Yeah. Yeah. So, I mean, um, what you're gonna learn is really about the power of neurobiology, the power of the neurobiology of movement on your brain, of meditation on your brain. I hope we get to sleep in your brain. Uh, I know you talk a lot about the power of social connection. We are social animals. There are so many circuits in our brain that evolved so that I could see what your energy level is. Are you happy? Are you sad? Are you excited about this conversation? And I think anybody watching will say that we are both really excited about this conversation. We can tell that because there are brain areas specific to helping us interpret that, that facial expression. That is why I love being a neuroscientist. It is teaching me about myself, about how to be better in this world, to feel better in this world, and, um, this is also why I love being dean of a large undergraduate college like New York University College of Arts and Science because I'm the brain health dean. I want every single one of my students to have a big, fat, fluffy brain and to be able to soak in all of the information, all the education. That is my mission as dean.

   5. MRMel Robbins6:05

      What is a big, fat, fluffy brain?

   6. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki6:07

      Ah. Well,

3. 6:09 – 7:05

   What renowned neuroscience says about your “big fat fluffy brain”.

   1. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki6:09

      a big, fat, fluffy brain is a brain that has constant what I call positive brain plasticity going on. So brain plasticity is the human brain's amazing ability to change and grow in response to the environment. Brain plasticity is growing in the positive direction. Unfortunately, there's also negative brain plasticity where things can shrink and get smaller and, and functionality can disappear. But imagine that certain choices that you make in your life...... can improve the brain's anatomy, physiology, and function. And that has been the focus of my neuroscientific research for the last 30 plus years.

   2. MRMel Robbins6:52

      That is so cool. And you know, when I hear the word plasticity and neuroplasticity-

   3. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki6:59

      Mm-hmm.

   4. MRMel Robbins6:59

      ... and the fact that your brain can grow-

   5. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki7:01

      Yeah.

   6. MRMel Robbins7:02

      ... are you talking about like it can actually get

4. 7:05 – 9:12

   What neuroplasticity is and how to use it to change your brain…and your life.

   1. MRMel Robbins7:05

      bigger or smaller, or are you talking about the, like, insides of it can change?

   2. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki7:10

      Hmm. Yeah.

   3. MRMel Robbins7:10

      What do you mean, like for a normal person like me-

   4. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki7:13

      Yeah, yeah.

   5. MRMel Robbins7:14

      ... when you say your brain can grow positive or negative?

   6. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki7:17

      Yeah. So let's take the positive. My brain can grow in the positive direction. Certain brain areas, in fact, my very favorite area of the brain called the hippocampus, critical for our ability to form and retain new long-term memories. That is one of only two brain areas in the human brain where brand new brain cells can be born in adulthood. So you and I are already growing brand new shiny hippocampal cells, and one of the wonderful magical secrets that we'll talk about later is the fact that physical activity can actually help even more hippocampal cells grow. And yes, that means that your memory will get better. So not just cells growing, but, um, positive brain plasticity also means that the connections between the neurons that are already there can grow. So you can have more connections, and that also we know can correlate to better performance, say, in your prefrontal cortex for focus and attention.

   7. MRMel Robbins8:19

      As you're listening to Dr. Suzuki, I'm sure you're having the same thought I'm having right now, which is, boy, I wish I had taken a class from you in college.

   8. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki8:26

      (laughs)

   9. MRMel Robbins8:26

      I mean, you are-

   10. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki8:28

       For sure.

   11. MRMel Robbins8:28

       ... so exuberant about the topic-

   12. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki8:32

       Mm-hmm.

   13. MRMel Robbins8:32

       ... that I cannot wait to just start to peel away the layers.

   14. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki8:36

       Mm-hmm.

   15. MRMel Robbins8:37

       Why is it important-

   16. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki8:39

       Mm-hmm.

   17. MRMel Robbins8:40

       ... just at a top level baseline understanding to care about the health of your brain?

   18. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki8:48

       That's such a great question, and my answer is that the human brain is the most complex structure known to humankind. Not Einstein's brain, not Marie Curie's brain, but your brain, Mel's brain, Wendy's brain, every single one of your listeners' brains. Imagine that, the most complex thing known to

5. 9:12 – 15:27

   Brain health 101: why it’s the key to unlocking your potential.

   1. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki9:12

      humankind, and everybody has things they do well, things they don't do- do well, that is so unique to you. It defines how you see, feel, smell, laugh about the world, and it's unique to you. The reason why you need to take care of that brain is really about taking care of who you are as a person. Your personal history is in there. Your future decisions are in there. And it truly is an awesome thing when you think about the structure of the brain, and that is part of my nerdy neuroscientific reason for doing all the things I do to make sure I do take care of my brain.

   2. MRMel Robbins9:53

      So how would the person who's listening to us right now feel different in their day-to-day life-

   3. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki10:01

      Hmm.

   4. MRMel Robbins10:02

      ... if they were to prioritize their brain health-

   5. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki10:06

      Hmm.

   6. MRMel Robbins10:07

      ... as much as we tend to focus on the things we eat or taking care of our muscles? What would happen if you did this?

   7. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki10:16

      So many different things. You would have lower levels of depression and anxiety, higher levels of energy. Your focus would be better. Your memory would be better. Your, um, creativity would go up. All of these things come from the studies that have been done both in animal model systems and in humans about the effects of positive brain plasticity and bringing those elements into your life.

   8. MRMel Robbins10:42

      Amazing. I would love to hear you share how you got interested in the brain and becoming-

   9. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki10:50

      Hmm.

   10. MRMel Robbins10:50

       ... a neuroscientist in the first place.

   11. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki10:52

       Yeah, yeah. I have a very specific origin story of how I decided I wanted to become a neuroscientist. It was my first day of my freshman year at UC Berkeley, and I walked into a first-year seminar class called The Brain and Its Potential. Had no idea who, um, taught this class, but I thought the title was interesting. And I remember walking into the class, there was only 15 students, and I saw this professor at the front of the classroom. And I describe her as kind of a neuroscientific Beyonce.

   12. MRMel Robbins11:29

       (laughs)

   13. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki11:29

       She- she had like control. She- she was fierce, but in a very positive, welcoming way. She controlled that classroom. And she started telling us about how the brain was the most complex structure known to humankind. Then she put on these gloves, and slowly and dramatically, she had a hat box in front of her, and she dramatically opened the lid of that hat box and she pulled out a real preserved human brain right there in front of all of us students who had never seen one before. And the gasp in that classroom was audible. And she told us about brain plasticity, which turns out she discovered.

   14. MRMel Robbins12:14

       She discovered?

   15. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki12:15

       She discovered. Her name was Marian Diamond. She was the very first female PhD in neuroanatomy conferred by UC Berkeley ever. And in 1960, she and her colleagues discovered that the adult mammalian brain, she was studying rodents at the time, could change and grow in response to what she described as an enriched environment, which was, I like to describe it as the Disney World of rat cages.

   16. MRMel Robbins12:42

       (laughs)

   17. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki12:42

       You compare rats in Disney World of rat cages compared to more of a shoebox condition, both rats got, you know, free food and water. But, um, if the adult brain couldn't change at all, which was the dogma of the time, then-... those experience should have no effect on the brain. This is where she discovered that the outer covering of the brain, the cortex, actually grew in response to the Disney World of rat cages, and that was one of the very first demonstrations that the adult brain could change because of the environment that you live in. And she told us that, and I'm like, "Okay. Beyonce of neuroscience, the coolest thing I've ever seen."

   18. MRMel Robbins13:22

       (laughs)

   19. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki13:22

       "This is a human brain. I wanna be just like her." And so, that's when I decided I wanted to be a neuroscientist.

   20. MRMel Robbins13:28

       And now you're even better.

   21. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki13:29

       (laughs)

   22. MRMel Robbins13:29

       'Cause you're Dr. Wendy Suzuki, man.

   23. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki13:32

       (laughs)

   24. MRMel Robbins13:32

       I love that. How did you start studying the impact of exercise-

   25. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki13:38

       Mm.

   26. MRMel Robbins13:38

       ... on the brain?

   27. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki13:39

       Yeah.

   28. MRMel Robbins13:39

       You mentioned earlier that there was this big shift that happened in your life-

   29. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki13:45

       Yeah.

   30. MRMel Robbins13:45

       ... that had you completely transform from the inside out-
6. 15:27 – 22:03

   Dr. Suzuki’s neuroscience epiphany that changed her life forever.

   1. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki15:27

      And to help me not feel like the weakest person on the trip, the most obvious thing for me to do was, "Let's just go to the gym. Let's just add that into my just work all the time, workaholic life." And that's what started the shift. That regular gym going started me feeling better and I started eating less takeout and added and added until I realized, "I did an experiment on myself. Oh my God, I- I- I feel so much better." Which led me back to looking at the neuroscience of that, 'cause I was focused on another form of brain plasticity, which is memory formation, and forming new memories changes your brain, and that is really the most common form of brain plasticity. But I was getting back to my roots, back to Marian Diamond's experiments when I went to the gym and changed my life, because it turns out that in the Disney World of rat cages, you can ask, "What was it? Was it the rides? Was it the social interaction?" It was the running wheel that was in those cages. All you had to do was give a rat a running wheel, and they got the vast majority of all of those positive brain changes. And I'm like, "Oh my God, I've discovered my own Disney World of rat cages. It's my gym, down the block."

   2. MRMel Robbins16:43

      What was the moment where you had an epiphany as both Wendy trying to get herself back in shape and off the kind of miserable track versus Dr. Suzuki going, "Oh my God, I gotta study exercise." That's it? Like when did you have that moment where you're like ...

   3. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki17:04

      Yeah. I did have that moment, and it was a year and a half into my starting to go to the gym. I was feeling good, I was-

   4. MRMel Robbins17:11

      Do you remember where you were?

   5. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki17:13

      Yep. I was sitting at my desk and I remember what I was doing. I was writing a grant. Very hard, it's just like a horrible, uh, stressful thing to write a grant. And it was so memorable because as I was sitting there writing a grant, I had this thought that went through my brain that had never gone through my brain before, which was, "Gee, grant writing went well today. That- that was good. That was a good session." I- you never think that. It's like, "Oh, I'm never gonna get this grant," you know? (laughs) "I'm gonna, uh, uh, be- be grantless." And, um, but I had that thought, and I thought, "Wow, am I just having a good day? I- I, th- that's an amazing thought for me to have."

   6. MRMel Robbins17:50

      Yeah.

   7. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki17:51

      And I thought, "Well, you know what? The- the one thing that I've changed in my life recently for the last year and a half has been my physical activity." And then I started thinking about, "Well, why did grant writing go better that day?" And two things came to mind. My focus, and I felt like my focus was better during that grant writing.

   8. MRMel Robbins18:10

      Mm-hmm.

   9. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki18:10

      But I also have hundreds of journal articles on my desk trying to pull together my multimillion dollar idea, and you need memory for all those details. It's like, "I think that was better too. Gosh, my- my focus and my memory are better? What's going on here?" I- I was studying memory in my own lab. And then it's like, "Could the exercise ... Is that- is that what's happening to me?" And so, it- it wasn't an, "Aha, I'm gonna study exercise." It's like, "Could that be it?" And it actually sent me to the classroom because when you wanna learn something new, you always have to develop new classes. I decided to create a new class called Can Exercise Change Your Brain? I was gonna answer my own question. Could exercise change my brain? So ...

   10. MRMel Robbins18:53

       You're a genius.

   11. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki18:54

       (laughs)

   12. MRMel Robbins18:54

       You created a class-

   13. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki18:56

       Yes. Yes.

   14. MRMel Robbins18:57

       ... to help you answer the question-

   15. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki18:59

       Yes.

   16. MRMel Robbins18:59

       ... because then the class creates a format-

   17. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki19:01

       Right.

   18. MRMel Robbins19:01

       ... where you've gotta dig into the research.

   19. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki19:03

       Yes. Yeah. I mean, two for one, right? I had to do it anyway, and I might as well answer the question that I was trying to answer. And then I thought, "Well, wait a second. If students are coming to my classroom every day ...... what if we all exercised together? And what if I do a study and test them at the beginning of the class and at the end of the class, but we'll all exercise together? So I'll turn it into an experiment. So I ran to my administrator and I said, "Can I have money to hire an exercise instructor so we'll all do exercise together?" And she said no. I'm like, "Aw," and then went back to my desk and thought about it. And then I went back and I said, "Would you pay for me to get teacher training if I learn how to teach an exercise class?" And she said yes. And so I went to the gym and I learned how to teach the favorite class that I was going to in the gym called Intensati that combined physical movements from kickboxing, dancing, yoga, and martial arts. It's a very New York class.

   20. MRMel Robbins20:00

       Patricia.

   21. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki20:00

       Patricia Moreno.

   22. MRMel Robbins20:01

       I know her.

   23. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki20:02

       Yes, you do, yes.

   24. MRMel Robbins20:03

       Mm-hmm.

   25. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki20:03

       So she, um, she helped change my brain and, uh, so I got training from Patricia, and I had trained for six months. You know, I, my cat could do Intensati really well 'cause I, I, I did it so much i- in my apartment. And I went back and I taught this class. And so I turned the music on and, um, and they did it. They did it with me. And so many things changed in that moment. The invisible wall between the talking head at the front of the classroom and everybody else disappeared because when you're shouting affirmations with professors, like, "Oh, you're one of us." You know, we can, we can sweat together. Um, and the level of engagement that I got from those students that first we sweated for an hour and then we did an hour and a half of interactive discussion about what we know about the effects of exercise on the brain. It set my bar for interactions that I want in every single classroom that I go into.

   26. MRMel Robbins21:00

       I love that story for so many reasons because I would imagine that was hugely out of your comfort zone.

   27. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki21:05

       Yes, yeah.

   28. MRMel Robbins21:06

       And it illustrates the power of just leaning into something.

   29. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki21:11

       Mm-hmm.

   30. MRMel Robbins21:11

       And it also illustrates the fact that a no doesn't mean no.
7. 22:03 – 32:11

   You’ll never believe what Dr. Suzuki brought in a hat box.

   1. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki22:03

      and, um, actually, Mel, um, that box shows that my undergraduate advisor is not the only one that has a hatbox. Can I show it to you?

   2. MRMel Robbins22:17

      Yes. (laughs)

   3. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki22:18

      (laughs) I'm nervous.

   4. NANarrator22:20

      Dr. Suzuki's standing up and she has gloves, rubber gloves on top of a hatbox.

   5. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki22:26

      Yes.

   6. NANarrator22:27

      Okay, so what do we got here?

   7. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki22:29

      Okay.

   8. NANarrator22:31

      A little nervous. (laughs)

   9. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki22:32

      Putting, putting the gloves on. I'd love to show you what's in my hatbox.

   10. NANarrator22:40

       Okay. Huh.

   11. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki22:45

       This is a real preserved human brain.

   12. NANarrator22:51

       Oh. Like a re- like in a person?

   13. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki22:54

       Yes.

   14. NANarrator22:54

       That was in a human being?

   15. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki22:55

       Yes. This is a real preserved human brain. Her name's Betty and she's the most photographed preserved human brain on the East Coast. Can I give you some gloves? You wanna hold it?

   16. NANarrator23:06

       You want me to hold it?

   17. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki23:07

       Yeah.

   18. NANarrator23:08

       Um, okay.

   19. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki23:09

       Okay.

   20. NANarrator23:10

       I think. (laughs) God.

   21. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki23:12

       There you go.

   22. NANarrator23:13

       Ugh. Okay, let me put the gloves on, hold on.

   23. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki23:17

       Okay. Oh, God. Okay.

   24. NANarrator23:18

       Now do I, th- like, I'm, I, is it normal to be nervous about handling-

   25. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki23:22

       Absolutely.

   26. NANarrator23:22

       ... a brain?

   27. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki23:22

       Well, so, you know, every time I pick this human brain up, I think, "This was somebody's life. This was, this was somebody's whole personality here." And I feel so lucky that I get to have this specimen that has been in our department for over 26 years. So it, it's preserved in formaldehyde.

   28. NANarrator23:45

       Okay.

   29. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki23:46

       But, but it does represent this person and so it is, I, I pick it up with reverence every single time. So can I ask you to stand up and come over here so we can bring it over?

   30. NANarrator24:03

       Sure. Ooh, okay.
8. 32:11 – 35:05

   A bubble bath for your brain: how moving your body supercharges your mind.

   1. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki32:11

      regular bubble bath for your brain, these neurochemicals that are making you feel good, the growth factors go to your hippocampus. That is what's growing those brand new hippocampal cells. The power of exercise comes from that neurochemical bubble bath.

   2. MRMel Robbins32:27

      I love that image. I love the image of being outside for just a 10-minute walk, every one of us can find 10 minutes, and you can imagine that flood happening. And I also, I personally am a bath person.

   3. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki32:46

      Mm-hmm. Yeah.

   4. MRMel Robbins32:46

      So when you say bubbles-

   5. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki32:48

      Yes.

   6. MRMel Robbins32:48

      ... and the, like a bath in my brain-

   7. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki32:50

      Yes.

   8. MRMel Robbins32:51

      ... and- and bubbles are fluffy.

   9. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki32:52

      Yes.

   10. MRMel Robbins32:52

       And I don't know that I wanted a body part to be big and fluffy-

   11. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki32:56

       (laughs)

   12. MRMel Robbins32:56

       ... but now I do want a big and fluffy brain.

   13. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki32:58

       Yes.

   14. MRMel Robbins32:59

       That a 10-minute walk at a minimum causes that flood of really positive chemicals.

   15. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki33:05

       Mm-hmm.

   16. MRMel Robbins33:05

       And this goes back to what you were saying, which is neuroplasticity and growing your brain works in the positive.

   17. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki33:12

       Yes.

   18. MRMel Robbins33:13

       And not doing these things, I suppose, works in the negative.

   19. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki33:16

       Well, you know, the- the negative comes from the most common negative brain plasticity drivers, very familiar to all of us, stress, chronic stress, chronic anxiety are two things, uh, that will- that will cause retraction.

   20. MRMel Robbins33:32

       So is the flood of all of those like super power... Do you call them chemicals or what are they called?

   21. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki33:40

       Neurochemicals, neurotransmitters.

   22. MRMel Robbins33:41

       Gotcha.

   23. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki33:42

       Yeah.

   24. MRMel Robbins33:42

       So does the flood of all those neurochemicals relieve anxiety? Is that why taking a 10-minute walk if you're feeling anxious can make you feel better?

   25. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki33:51

       Absolutely.

   26. MRMel Robbins33:51

       It's because of the release of the neurochemicals.

   27. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki33:54

       Yes. Yeah. The most common drugs that one gets prescribed for depression or anxiety are releasing forms of noradrenaline and, uh, dopamine and serotonin. So this is an- a natural way to get that. It's free. You don't even have to change your clothes. So that- that is just the magical power of moving your body for your brain.

   28. MRMel Robbins34:18

       I love that. How does exercise improve focus?

   29. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki34:22

       Improved focus is the most common positive effect that has been reported from studies of exercise on the brain. Easiest to find improved focus. We know it's affecting the prefrontal cortex. Um, and the mechanism of that and what exactly is happening is less clear than some of the other brain areas. We think that growth factors are also involved and that it involves not growth of new brain cells in the prefrontal cortex, but new synapses. You get an immediate positive effect of focus from that same 10-minute walk. And with long-term regular exercise, your baseline levels of focus and attention go up. And that's where you expect to get,

9. 35:05 – 37:30

   The unbelievable changes exercise makes on your focus, energy, and mood.

   1. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki35:05

      you know, real physical change in your brain.

   2. MRMel Robbins35:07

      Wow. I personally notice a increase in energy, which I always find to be weird-

   3. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki35:13

      Mm-hmm.

   4. MRMel Robbins35:13

      ... because I'm usually dragging myself-

   5. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki35:15

      Hm. Hmm.

   6. MRMel Robbins35:16

      ... to the gym or dragging myself out of bed to go on a walk or a hike.

   7. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki35:20

      Yeah.

   8. MRMel Robbins35:20

      But when I'm done, even though I'm tired, I feel this boost of energy.

   9. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki35:24

      Yeah.

   10. MRMel Robbins35:24

       Can you explain why exercise increases your energy?

   11. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki35:29

       One of my favorite findings is in groups that were assigned the exercise condition, um, the motivation to exercise increased in them. So more exercise improves motivation to exercise. And then the- the energy piece that you're talking about is likely due to the flood of dopamine and serotonin-

   12. MRMel Robbins35:49

       Hmm.

   13. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki35:49

       ... that go to your brain. Do you feel more energized when you're happy and when the reward that you get with dopamine? Yes, you are. So I'm gonna say that it's probably most likely due to, uh, those same neurochemicals we've been talking about.

   14. MRMel Robbins36:03

       Well, I was just thinking about this morning.

   15. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki36:05

       Hm.

   16. MRMel Robbins36:05

       So this morning the alarm goes off at 5:35.

   17. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki36:08

       Yeah.

   18. MRMel Robbins36:09

       We've got a huge day in the studio, I'm super excited to meet you and to talk to you. And as I was rolling out of the hotel bed, my husband was down here with me, he's like, "Where are you going?" I'm like, "I gotta go exercise." He's like, "But you have a huge day." And I'm like, "Because I need to be energized."

   19. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki36:29

       Yes.

   20. MRMel Robbins36:29

       "And I know that if I go exercise at six o'clock in the morning, when I walk in that studio, I will be a different person." And so-

   21. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki36:36

       Mm-hmm.

   22. MRMel Robbins36:36

       ... it was something that I realize I'm doing, especially on days that I want to perform.

   23. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki36:43

       Yeah. Me too.

   24. MRMel Robbins36:44

       And can you explain a little bit about why, if you've got something big going on today-

   25. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki36:49

       Yeah.

   26. MRMel Robbins36:50

       ... starting your day with exercise is a really smart thing to do?

   27. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki36:53

       Well, so it is, uh, going back to that wonderful flood of neurochemicals. You are starting your day in a good mood, you improved your focus and attention, which we all need for a big day. Um, you're also increasing your adrenaline-

   28. MRMel Robbins37:10

       Mm-hmm.

   29. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki37:10

       ... in your body with- with exercise. What I love to do to supercharge that- that adrenaline boost every morning is hot/cold contrast showers. So I do my regular hot shower, but at the end, I push it all the way to maximum cold and boost... Okay, it was hard the first time I did it.

   30. MRMel Robbins37:28

       (laughs)
10. 37:30 – 47:12

    Want to uplevel your morning? Add this to your morning routine.

    1. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki37:30

       once you get used to it, that's a natural adrenaline boost. And that is like, I need that. If I forget, I go back into the shower.

    2. MRMel Robbins37:38

       No.

    3. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki37:39

       Uh, I do. I do go back into the shower to get it if I- I forget it. Because just like you, you need to be up, you need to be ready for that day. And that...... together with, with exercise are, are really powerful, um, ways to get that energy up.

    4. MRMel Robbins37:55

       So, Dr. Suzuki, I wanna stop you right there because that is a second huge free takeaway.

    5. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki38:00

       Mm-hmm.

    6. MRMel Robbins38:01

       We talked about the 10-minute walk.

    7. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki38:02

       Yes.

    8. MRMel Robbins38:02

       We have talked about this flood of neurochemicals that you can get by moving your body.

    9. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki38:08

       Yes.

    10. MRMel Robbins38:08

        Now, you are talking about a habit that you have as a neuroscientist-

    11. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki38:12

        Yes.

    12. MRMel Robbins38:12

        ... where you end every shower-

    13. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki38:14

        Mm-hmm.

    14. MRMel Robbins38:15

        ... by spinning the dial from that amazing, steamy-

    15. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki38:18

        Yeah.

    16. MRMel Robbins38:19

        ... awesome-

    17. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki38:19

        Yeah.

    18. MRMel Robbins38:19

        ... warm shower.

    19. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki38:20

        (laughs)

    20. MRMel Robbins38:20

        Oh, I love that feeling, don't you? When you start to feel-

    21. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki38:22

        Love it.

    22. MRMel Robbins38:22

        ... a little tired.

    23. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki38:23

        Yeah.

    24. MRMel Robbins38:23

        You're like, "Oh, do I really wanna get out of the shower?"

    25. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki38:25

        Yeah.

    26. MRMel Robbins38:25

        And then Dr. Suzuki's like, right.

    27. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki38:28

        Yeah, yeah. (laughs)

    28. MRMel Robbins38:28

        And she turns it up cold and now, she's standing in freezing-

    29. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki38:32

        Yeah.

    30. MRMel Robbins38:32

        ... cold water. How long do you stand there?
11. 47:12 – 50:26

    What you need to know about the hippocampus.

    1. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki47:12

       power Scrabble competition in my lab, so that was the non-aerobic, you know, control experiment. And what we found is that three times a week, 45 minutes aerobic activity would improve their mood, improve their focus, and improve certain forms of hippocampal function. So is it effective? Yes. We saw it in three months, and there is a number for everybody. Three times a week, 45 minutes, that's a doable thing. Three times a week, 45 minutes, you get brain effects. Now you say, "Well, I'm, I'm, you know, I don't, uh, I don't work out that little." And so we did the next study in kind of mid-fit people already working out two to three times a week.

    2. MRMel Robbins47:56

       Okay, so mid-fit.

    3. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki47:57

       Yeah.

    4. MRMel Robbins47:58

       Trying to see if I actually fit in that category. (laughs)

    5. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki48:01

       Okay.

    6. MRMel Robbins48:01

       How many times do I... Two to three times a week you're working out.

    7. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki48:04

       Yes, yeah.

    8. MRMel Robbins48:04

       And that could be lifting weights.

    9. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki48:05

       Yes.

    10. MRMel Robbins48:06

        It could be going for a long walk.

    11. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki48:07

        Right.

    12. MRMel Robbins48:08

        It could be yoga class.

    13. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki48:09

        Yeah.

    14. MRMel Robbins48:09

        Like, you're just doing something.

    15. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki48:10

        Yes, yes.

    16. MRMel Robbins48:11

        Got it, okay.

    17. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki48:11

        Okay. So we asked what will change their brain, and we said, "Okay, you could go to this spin class as many times as you want during the week." And, uh, so we had people staying at two to three times a week, and those that went up to seven times a week. The take-home from that study is that the more you worked out, the more brain changes you got, and that's great. It's democratic. You earn what you get. So it works on a continuum. And I used to say every drop of sweat count, but then turns out there's a lot more people than I realized that don't sweat. So now I say every turn of the, you know, exercise bike roo- wheel, that counts. What I'm doing counts, walking, dancing, uh, uh, gardening, all of that counts. And the inspiration is just do it a little bit more.

    18. MRMel Robbins49:04

        Hmm.

    19. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki49:04

        You're gonna get the benefit. It's not like it's not gonna count. It is gonna count. Just find a way to get it into your life, importantly, in a way that you enjoy and in a way that you're gonna do.

    20. MRMel Robbins49:15

        If somebody is wheelchair-bound-

    21. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki49:17

        Mm-hmm.

    22. MRMel Robbins49:17

        ... or they are, like, injured-

    23. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki49:20

        Yeah.

    24. MRMel Robbins49:21

        ... or they're combating a illness-

    25. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki49:23

        Yeah.

    26. MRMel Robbins49:23

        ... so they are very sedentary-

    27. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki49:25

        Mm-hmm.

    28. MRMel Robbins49:26

        ... is there some kind of something that you can do? I mean, I would imagine-

    29. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki49:30

        Yeah.

    30. MRMel Robbins49:30

        ... like if you're wheeling yourself-
12. 50:26 – 55:48

    The 10-minute routine you should do every day to lower your risk of dementia and improve memory.

    1. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki50:26

       with your pet. Um, maybe it is a walk at the museum. Maybe you love the museum. Okay, while there, I'll walk around. There's so many ways to be creative about getting movement into anybody's life.

    2. MRMel Robbins50:39

       What I really love about your message and your research is the visual of this flood of neurochemicals. And the fact that so many of us reach for something in a bottle and you have something in your body that you can unleash.

    3. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki50:57

       Absolutely.

    4. MRMel Robbins50:57

       And I'm not shaming anybody-

    5. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki50:58

       Yeah.

    6. MRMel Robbins50:58

       ... at all.

    7. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki50:59

       Mm-hmm.

    8. MRMel Robbins50:59

       'Cause medications save lives. They're a very important tool in the toolkit.

    9. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki51:03

       Yeah.

    10. MRMel Robbins51:04

        But don't forget about the one that's actually designed by your own body.

    11. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki51:07

        Yeah.

    12. MRMel Robbins51:08

        And when you understand the science, it makes your resignation over the fact that you've let yourself go or you don't have a lot of time or what difference is a 10-minute walk or turning the dial-

    13. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki51:21

        (laughs) Mm-hmm.

    14. MRMel Robbins51:21

        ... to cold to get the blast-

    15. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki51:23

        Yeah.

    16. MRMel Robbins51:23

        ... of adrenaline, it actually makes a profound difference.

    17. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki51:26

        It does make a profound difference. Little things, that, that's the thing. You don't have to completely change your lifestyle. In fact, it might be scary to say, "I completely changed my life." But it started with that first class that I went. I still remember, it was a hip-hop dance class. I'm a terrible hip-hop dancer, but I still went. And it was like even though I was terrible, I still feel better. It might be different for you. It might be, "I love this park and I'm just gonna walk around this park that's near my house." It's convenient. The park's not going anywhere. It's always gonna be there. What is that thing that you can do that it will be easy for you to do to move your body?

    18. MRMel Robbins52:04

        How does, uh, exercise improve longevity-

    19. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki52:08

        Mm.

    20. MRMel Robbins52:09

        ... and decrease your risk for disease?

    21. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki52:12

        So I have to turn to my friend, um, Robert Waldinger-

    22. MRMel Robbins52:16

        Mm.

    23. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki52:16

        ... when you talk about longevity, uh, because his wonderful studies at Harvard that he oversees shows how important social connection is for longevity. That is the number one thing. And of course, physical activity that increases your heart rate and, and, um, you know, decreases your, your, um, uh, your propensity for getting cardiovascular disease, that's great too. But for longevity, um, it is social connection. And so taking those walks with a friend, including your pets, you know, all those things. I, I, I like to multiply all these effects that come from, from great science. My father, um, a very smart guy. He was an engineer. And, um, one day, he drove back from the 7-Eleven that's only about eight blocks from our house. He would go there to get his afternoon cup of coffee. And he told my mom that he, he had a hard time finding his way back home. That's the spatial memory I was talking about that's so dependent on the hippocampus. And as a hippocampal expert, when my mother told me that, I knew immediately there was a problem with his hippocampus. Uh, that is the structure that is, uh, first affected in dementia, including Alzheimer's dementia. And that is what, um, that is what he ended up being diagnosed with. I wish I could say, "So therefore, I had him immediately on an exercise plan." He was in his early 80s, maybe late 70s when that happened. I can't remember exactly his age. He was a little bit wobbly on his feet. Um, he did like going for a walk, so he would, he would go do that. But there was a little bit of danger. As we all know with older people, there's, you know, uh, a little risk-taking. Again, going back to social interaction. The more time that I could spend with him, the more time that we can get him together with family where he came alive and he could think and talk about, you know, all the memories that he had, um, is a great way to go. As Japanese Americans, I'm third generation Japanese American, my, my parents are second generation Japanese Americans, other Japanese Americans out there will know, we don't say I love you to each other not because we don't love each other, it's just a, you don't have to say that. It's, you know, it's just not part of our culture. But when my father had this dy- dementia diagnosis, um, I thought, "Gosh, you know what? I, I wanna start saying it." But it's very awkward. Uh, when you're an adult child and you've never said I love you to your parents as an adult, do you just like blurt it out? (laughs) It's, it's like, "What should I do?" I had a long, you know, internal conversation about this and I realized that I should ask permission, like, "Let, let's talk about it." And, uh, I, I didn't want to say, "Oh, because you have dementia, I wanna say I love you." (laughs) I was like, "Let's keep it light. Let's, let's just ask and..." you know, but I wanted to do it for my mom and my dad. And I would call every Sunday and when I called, my mom would always answer the phone and I would tell her about the week and then she would hand the phone to the- my dad and I'd tell him all the same stories and then, you know, that's how the conversation went. But this Sunday, I decided I'm gonna ask, you know, whether we sh- we can start saying I love you for the first time in our whole adult lives. Um, so it started out normally and at some point in the middle, I said, "You know, Mom, um, we, I realized we never say I love you at, at the end of these conversations.

13. 55:48 – 1:03:58

    The true power of the phrase “I love you”: why it matters and when to use it.

    1. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki55:48

       What do you think about saying I love you?" Silence. Silence on the other end of the phone. (laughs) It's like, "What is she asking me? She's never asked me that before." And of course, I was...... just terrified that she would say no because... She might. I mean, she's, she may not be comfortable. I di- I didn't know. I'd never asked her that question before. But after what seemed like hours (laughs) , it was just a few seconds, she said, "I, I think that's a great idea." I said, "Oh, okay, great." And so we kind of finished up our conversation and then both of us realized, at the same time I think, that we had nothing more to say to, to each other, and we both knew that we had both agreed to, to say this thing. (laughs) And I, I kind of describe it as, you know, it felt like two lions kind of circling each other, "What's, what's gonna happen? Who goes first?" (laughs) And, you know, it was my ask, so I said, "Okay. I love you." And, uh, she said, "I love you too," in our very Disney voices so we can get through it. And so I had the conversation with my dad, and it was a little less awkward with him because I knew my mom said yes, and I, I knew my dad would say yes. And so we agreed with my dad. I said, we said, "I love you," hung up the phone, and burst into tears because I had kind of changed the whole family dynamic of generations of not saying I love you. And that was the, a tipping point in my family kind of history, from not saying I love you to saying I love you. But, uh, the reason why I started telling this story is that the following week, I called back again, and my I love you with my mother was significantly less awkward. But, um, my father said I love you first, and he remembered after a whole week. H- he was in the middle of dementia. He didn't remember anything. But he remembered that we had agreed to say I love you, and he said it first. And because I'm a neuroscientist that studies memory, I know why, and it's because emotional resonance makes hippocampal dependent memories stick, and his hippocampus was not working well. But the emotional resonance of his adult daughter asking for the very first time to say I love you, it formed a new memory in my dad. And, um, that, that was obviously something that I'll (laughs) always remember because the last time I spoke to him, we also said I love you.

    2. MRMel Robbins58:45

       That's so beautiful. Oh my God.

    3. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki58:48

       (laughs)

    4. MRMel Robbins58:48

       I'm just crying over the brain for crying out loud. I, I, um... I'm really proud of you...

    5. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki58:57

       (laughs) Thank you.

    6. MRMel Robbins58:59

       ... for recognizing what you needed.

    7. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki59:02

       Mm-hmm-

    8. MRMel Robbins59:03

       And also recognizing what your parents needed.

    9. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki59:06

       Yeah.

    10. MRMel Robbins59:07

        And asking for it.

    11. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki59:08

        Yeah.

    12. MRMel Robbins59:10

        And the story demonstrates something you said earlier, which is, the brain is the most, like, intricate, complicated, amazing, beautiful thing about a human.

    13. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki59:26

        Yes, it is.

    14. MRMel Robbins59:27

        And you have the ability to change it for the better.

    15. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki59:31

        Yeah.

    16. MRMel Robbins59:32

        And for anyone that's listening that feels like you are in a family dynamic that you wish would change, all it takes is one person to do it.

    17. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki59:47

        Yeah.

    18. MRMel Robbins59:47

        What a gift-

    19. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki59:49

        Yeah. It was-

    20. MRMel Robbins59:49

        ... you gave to your parents and to yourself.

    21. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki59:52

        Yes. It was. And I still enjoy that gift in my regular conversations with my mother. So yes, I think about that, that day often.

    22. MRMel Robbins1:00:03

        What did it teach you, as a scientist, to have that personal experience?

    23. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki1:00:09

        It really brought home how precious our memories are. It defines who we are. It defines our personal histories, and, and if you lose that personal history, you still have your same personality characteristics, but that's what's so sad to see as the family member, those memories sl- slip away. Um, but when they come back or when-

    24. MRMel Robbins1:00:38

        Mm-hmm.

    25. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki1:00:38

        ... one is, is created anew, you celebrate it in a different way. So it, it really kind of brought all of my science home to me.

    26. MRMel Robbins1:00:50

        It's beautiful. So beautiful. I am so struck by what a profound experience this has been to be with you, and, you know, one of my missions is to take the smartest people in the world, (laughs) like you, and some of the most complicated research and to try to make it personal-

    27. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki1:01:19

        Mm-hmm.

    28. MRMel Robbins1:01:20

        ... and useful. And you have done that for us today-

    29. WSDr. Wendy Suzuki1:01:24

        Oh, thank you.

    30. MRMel Robbins1:01:25

        ... in a way that not only I know that I personally feel so much more empowered and motivated, but I have a bigger reason-

Episode duration: 1:04:03