WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.779 Prepare to have your health questions answered 00:00:02.779 --> 00:00:06.719 here on Safe, Effective, Natural Solutions with 00:00:06.719 --> 00:00:10.099 Dr. Todd Binkley, owner of Binkley Healing Center 00:00:10.099 --> 00:00:15.460 in downtown Ventura. Now, here's Dr. Todd. Good 00:00:15.460 --> 00:00:17.519 afternoon. I'm Dr. Todd Binkley, board -certified 00:00:17.519 --> 00:00:19.859 doctor of non -force chiropractic and practitioner 00:00:19.859 --> 00:00:22.719 of... Functional medicine. Today I'm going to 00:00:22.719 --> 00:00:25.539 be talking about some safe, effective, natural 00:00:25.539 --> 00:00:29.059 solutions for mood disorders like depression 00:00:29.059 --> 00:00:33.140 and anxiety. There's a commonly overlooked or 00:00:33.140 --> 00:00:35.439 forgotten or at least indefinitely postponed 00:00:35.439 --> 00:00:39.079 means of dramatically reducing depression and 00:00:39.079 --> 00:00:42.719 anxiety than anyone can do right now. And I hope 00:00:42.719 --> 00:00:44.520 that you'll share this show. If people you know 00:00:44.520 --> 00:00:46.380 in your life, people that you love, are suffering 00:00:46.380 --> 00:00:49.179 from depression, anxiety -related mood disorders, 00:00:49.259 --> 00:00:52.439 I hope you'll share with them this podcast version 00:00:52.439 --> 00:00:55.039 of this show, which will be available on my website 00:00:55.039 --> 00:00:57.899 soon. Tell people how to find that. I hope you'll 00:00:57.899 --> 00:01:00.740 do that. And in case someone who is listening 00:01:00.740 --> 00:01:02.939 to this is going through a tough time right now, 00:01:03.140 --> 00:01:06.159 the most important thing to know is that when 00:01:06.159 --> 00:01:09.859 you're in a cycle of feeling fantastic and then 00:01:09.859 --> 00:01:13.900 miserable, and then fine again, and then feeling 00:01:13.900 --> 00:01:16.819 like nothing is ever going to go your way. The 00:01:16.819 --> 00:01:18.500 most important thing to know about that is emotions 00:01:18.500 --> 00:01:22.060 are cyclical. You will feel differently in an 00:01:22.060 --> 00:01:26.379 hour, maybe a day or two, maybe a week, maybe 00:01:26.379 --> 00:01:29.920 a little bit longer, but things always do change. 00:01:31.219 --> 00:01:33.019 And of course, many people have experienced this 00:01:33.019 --> 00:01:37.000 and are still holding on to knowledge and direct 00:01:37.000 --> 00:01:40.790 experience that their mood will change. But what 00:01:40.790 --> 00:01:44.269 happens after a few hundred cycles of that, clinging 00:01:44.269 --> 00:01:48.189 to the hope that things will change, and time 00:01:48.189 --> 00:01:51.730 passes and they don't? Well, a key focus of my 00:01:51.730 --> 00:01:53.950 practice has always been identifying nutrient 00:01:53.950 --> 00:01:57.349 deficiencies based on objective testing that 00:01:57.349 --> 00:01:59.269 can be supplemented in the short term to break 00:01:59.269 --> 00:02:01.750 that cycle, to get you back the energy you need, 00:02:01.909 --> 00:02:05.269 relief from pain, stiffness, even directly relieve 00:02:05.269 --> 00:02:08.750 anxiety. fatigue, whatever other symptoms are 00:02:08.750 --> 00:02:11.069 stopping you from getting back to the place where 00:02:11.069 --> 00:02:14.129 you used to feel great. So today I'm excited 00:02:14.129 --> 00:02:15.590 to share some information that was in the news 00:02:15.590 --> 00:02:18.750 again this week that I probably don't talk enough 00:02:18.750 --> 00:02:23.009 about on this show. How exercise fights anxiety 00:02:23.009 --> 00:02:26.490 and depression. Some major articles came out 00:02:26.490 --> 00:02:29.129 in the news this week on this subject. And when 00:02:29.129 --> 00:02:31.330 it comes to mental health, most treatments for 00:02:31.330 --> 00:02:34.310 conditions like depression and anxiety come with 00:02:34.310 --> 00:02:37.889 caveats. Medications work for some symptoms but 00:02:37.889 --> 00:02:41.150 can exacerbate others. Cognitive behavioral therapy 00:02:41.150 --> 00:02:45.650 is effective for many patients but not all. So 00:02:45.650 --> 00:02:47.849 there's one strategy that seems to work for most 00:02:47.849 --> 00:02:51.629 people and almost all experts endorse and that 00:02:51.629 --> 00:02:54.750 is regular exercise. So I'm pretty sure most 00:02:54.750 --> 00:02:56.550 of you already know about this or have at least 00:02:56.550 --> 00:02:59.400 heard about it. But I'm also constantly reminded 00:02:59.400 --> 00:03:03.080 of the benefits of exercise in ways that perhaps 00:03:03.080 --> 00:03:06.840 you and people you love might not be. So I'm 00:03:06.840 --> 00:03:09.159 wondering if I should be mentioning this more 00:03:09.159 --> 00:03:13.319 often. So here goes. Many decades of research 00:03:13.319 --> 00:03:15.759 have established the fact that exercise has a 00:03:15.759 --> 00:03:19.069 positive effect on mental health. For example, 00:03:19.150 --> 00:03:20.710 here's a study published in the Journal of American 00:03:20.710 --> 00:03:24.009 Medical Association in April of 2024 titled Physical 00:03:24.009 --> 00:03:28.110 Fitness Among Children and Adolescents May Protect 00:03:28.110 --> 00:03:31.110 Against Developing Depressive Symptoms, Anxiety, 00:03:31.110 --> 00:03:34.310 and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. 00:03:34.680 --> 00:03:37.479 So the study found that better performance in 00:03:37.479 --> 00:03:40.259 cardiovascular activities, as well as strength 00:03:40.259 --> 00:03:43.479 and muscular endurance, were each associated 00:03:43.479 --> 00:03:45.800 with greater protection against mental health 00:03:45.800 --> 00:03:48.139 conditions. And they deemed this linkage dose 00:03:48.139 --> 00:03:50.259 -dependent, meaning that a child or adolescent 00:03:50.259 --> 00:03:53.680 who is more fit is accordingly less likely to 00:03:53.680 --> 00:03:56.360 experience the onset of a mental health disorder. 00:03:56.539 --> 00:03:58.360 And these findings come amid a surge of mental 00:03:58.360 --> 00:04:00.819 health diagnoses among children in the United 00:04:00.819 --> 00:04:03.620 States and around the world. And so it's a really 00:04:03.620 --> 00:04:05.699 important thing to understand and to pass on. 00:04:05.819 --> 00:04:08.280 So this is a study conducted by researchers in 00:04:08.280 --> 00:04:10.860 Taiwan that compared data from two large data 00:04:10.860 --> 00:04:14.020 sets, the Taiwan National Student Fitness Test, 00:04:14.099 --> 00:04:16.279 which measures student fitness performance in 00:04:16.279 --> 00:04:20.069 schools, and the National... Insurance Research 00:04:20.069 --> 00:04:23.730 Database, which records medical claims, diagnoses, 00:04:23.750 --> 00:04:25.910 prescriptions, and other medical information. 00:04:26.189 --> 00:04:29.670 So they were able to use this anonymized data 00:04:29.670 --> 00:04:32.029 to compare the students' physical fitness and 00:04:32.029 --> 00:04:34.829 mental health results. And they measured physical 00:04:34.829 --> 00:04:37.209 fitness in three ways. Cardio fitness they measured 00:04:37.209 --> 00:04:40.490 by doing a student's time in an 800 -meter run. 00:04:40.970 --> 00:04:43.790 Muscle endurance by the number of sit -ups they 00:04:43.790 --> 00:04:46.689 could perform. And muscle power measured by a 00:04:46.689 --> 00:04:50.000 standing broad jump. Improved performance in 00:04:50.000 --> 00:04:52.000 each activity was linked with a lower risk of 00:04:52.000 --> 00:04:54.879 mental health disorder. For example, a 30 -second 00:04:54.879 --> 00:04:57.779 decrease in the 800 -meter time was associated 00:04:57.779 --> 00:05:00.759 in girls with a lower risk of depression, anxiety, 00:05:01.040 --> 00:05:05.100 and ADHD. In boys, it was associated with lower 00:05:05.100 --> 00:05:08.699 anxiety and risk of the disorder. An increase 00:05:08.699 --> 00:05:11.360 of five sit -ups per minute was associated with 00:05:11.360 --> 00:05:14.860 lower anxiety and risk of anxiety in boys and 00:05:14.860 --> 00:05:17.360 decreased risk of depression and anxiety in girls. 00:05:17.420 --> 00:05:20.439 So even small amounts and increase in improvement 00:05:20.439 --> 00:05:22.879 in physical fitness dramatically reduced their 00:05:22.879 --> 00:05:26.350 risk of these mental disorders. So that's pretty 00:05:26.350 --> 00:05:28.550 exciting because it shows that even modest improvements 00:05:28.550 --> 00:05:31.689 in an exercise routine can make dramatic improvements 00:05:31.689 --> 00:05:34.209 on risk and severity of mental health disorders. 00:05:34.449 --> 00:05:36.290 But while that's on kids, right, they're resilient, 00:05:36.449 --> 00:05:39.329 they respond quickly or more quickly to anything. 00:05:39.430 --> 00:05:41.329 So what about adults? Well, here's another study 00:05:41.329 --> 00:05:43.430 that was published in the British Medical Journal 00:05:43.430 --> 00:05:47.300 in January of 2024. In patients with mild to 00:05:47.300 --> 00:05:49.639 moderate depression, a wide range of exercise 00:05:49.639 --> 00:05:52.540 regimens has been shown to be as effective as 00:05:52.540 --> 00:05:57.459 medications like SSRIs, selective serotonin reuptake 00:05:57.459 --> 00:05:59.620 inhibitors. These are the most common treatments 00:05:59.620 --> 00:06:02.240 for anxiety and depression. Medications like 00:06:02.240 --> 00:06:07.420 Zoloft, Prozac, Paxil, Lexapro. It is important 00:06:07.420 --> 00:06:09.339 to recognize that a lot of times these medications 00:06:09.339 --> 00:06:12.120 are necessary when someone is in a crisis, and 00:06:12.120 --> 00:06:14.279 this study, in fact, showed that the best results 00:06:14.279 --> 00:06:16.920 generally involved a combination of medications 00:06:16.920 --> 00:06:20.560 and exercise. Well, I like to practice what I 00:06:20.560 --> 00:06:23.339 preach. When I'm in my office seeing patients, 00:06:23.560 --> 00:06:27.019 I am on my feet most of the day, and I stretch 00:06:27.019 --> 00:06:29.839 for at least 30 to 45 minutes every day, sometimes 00:06:29.839 --> 00:06:32.800 for two or three hours. I also love cycling, 00:06:32.899 --> 00:06:35.180 and I do some strength training at least once 00:06:35.180 --> 00:06:38.649 a week. But over the past 35 years in practice, 00:06:38.750 --> 00:06:40.810 I've seen how difficult it can be for so many 00:06:40.810 --> 00:06:44.129 people to do any kind of exercise. They might 00:06:44.129 --> 00:06:46.589 be in pain or just have stiffness, arthritis, 00:06:46.930 --> 00:06:49.410 or still be suffering from the effects of old 00:06:49.410 --> 00:06:52.589 injuries, or just be fatigued, just have so much 00:06:52.589 --> 00:06:54.689 fatigue, just be so tired all the time from work 00:06:54.689 --> 00:06:57.410 or any number of things that may be going on, 00:06:57.449 --> 00:06:59.670 which we can often identify. But the bottom line 00:06:59.670 --> 00:07:03.050 is if they can't do it, then recommending more 00:07:03.050 --> 00:07:05.730 exercise is not going to help them in that moment. 00:07:06.110 --> 00:07:08.329 And of course, time is always a factor. You do 00:07:08.329 --> 00:07:11.110 have to put in the time to do exercise. But if 00:07:11.110 --> 00:07:12.709 you're truly motivated to make a change, there 00:07:12.709 --> 00:07:15.209 is always a way to incorporate a little more 00:07:15.209 --> 00:07:18.089 movement into your daily and weekly routines. 00:07:18.709 --> 00:07:20.750 There's nearly always a way to identify a few 00:07:20.750 --> 00:07:23.170 gentle stretches and strength training exercises 00:07:23.170 --> 00:07:27.810 that you can do wherever you are now. And, you 00:07:27.810 --> 00:07:29.310 know, sometimes that requires some instruction, 00:07:29.430 --> 00:07:31.629 but walking is something that anyone can do. 00:07:31.689 --> 00:07:33.689 It's the simplest thing, no equipment required, 00:07:34.009 --> 00:07:36.730 no memberships. And, you know, if you're creative, 00:07:36.910 --> 00:07:38.689 if you, you know, look around, you can find a 00:07:38.689 --> 00:07:41.230 way to make it fun. Make it fun and easy. The 00:07:41.230 --> 00:07:44.209 best exercise anyone should do and the best exercise 00:07:44.209 --> 00:07:47.009 for you is the one that you can make fun, that 00:07:47.009 --> 00:07:49.370 you can incorporate easily into your life so 00:07:49.370 --> 00:07:52.370 that you will do it regularly. Well, how about 00:07:52.370 --> 00:07:54.790 a quick walk around the block? Like a 20 or 30 00:07:54.790 --> 00:07:56.529 minute walk first thing in the morning when no 00:07:56.529 --> 00:07:59.629 one else is out in your own neighborhood. There's 00:07:59.629 --> 00:08:01.589 one of the easiest ways to get yourself moving. 00:08:01.870 --> 00:08:04.769 It's free. It's a fantastic way to start the 00:08:04.769 --> 00:08:08.629 day. Cool, fresh air. Mostly quiet. Listen to 00:08:08.629 --> 00:08:11.069 the birds in the trees. Check out what your neighbors 00:08:11.069 --> 00:08:13.720 are up to. When I'm going on morning walks, I 00:08:13.720 --> 00:08:15.879 like to check out people's yards, people's landscapes. 00:08:16.019 --> 00:08:18.819 I notice other people, interesting things that 00:08:18.819 --> 00:08:21.139 people have planted when I'm driving by on the 00:08:21.139 --> 00:08:23.860 way to and from work or cycling. But if you're 00:08:23.860 --> 00:08:25.920 out walking, you can check them out up close 00:08:25.920 --> 00:08:28.079 in detail, even snap a couple of pictures of 00:08:28.079 --> 00:08:31.480 things I like for ideas and often even meet those 00:08:31.480 --> 00:08:33.519 neighbors and even make a new friend or two. 00:08:34.029 --> 00:08:36.289 I'm Dr. Todd Binkley. You're listening to Safe, 00:08:36.330 --> 00:08:39.049 Effective, Natural Solutions to Almost Any Health 00:08:39.049 --> 00:08:41.289 Challenge. Today, specifically, the challenge 00:08:41.289 --> 00:08:45.610 of maintaining good mental health. Ways to reduce 00:08:45.610 --> 00:08:48.509 depression and anxiety directly with exercise, 00:08:48.850 --> 00:08:51.230 regular exercise, and much less exercise than 00:08:51.230 --> 00:08:54.970 you might have suspected. Moving regularly can 00:08:54.970 --> 00:08:57.649 also improve sleep. and reduce stress. Here's 00:08:57.649 --> 00:09:00.110 another study that was published in the International 00:09:00.110 --> 00:09:02.029 Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical 00:09:02.029 --> 00:09:05.669 Activity in June of 2024, titled The Impact of 00:09:05.669 --> 00:09:08.649 Exercise on Depression. How moving makes your 00:09:08.649 --> 00:09:12.450 brain and body make your brain feel better and 00:09:12.450 --> 00:09:15.750 your body. And mainly through endorphin production, 00:09:15.950 --> 00:09:18.470 which are neurotransmitters associated with positive 00:09:18.470 --> 00:09:21.529 mood and feelings of well -being. And they documented 00:09:21.529 --> 00:09:24.590 how exercise significantly improves sleep, reduces 00:09:24.590 --> 00:09:27.840 stress and anxiety. and enhances self -esteem 00:09:27.840 --> 00:09:31.220 and social support. Of course, it's easy for 00:09:31.220 --> 00:09:33.899 anyone to demonstrate this to themselves by just 00:09:33.899 --> 00:09:36.629 simply getting out. and moving around. But if 00:09:36.629 --> 00:09:39.490 you're struggling to do that or forgotten how 00:09:39.490 --> 00:09:41.769 great it can feel to do that, and you're just 00:09:41.769 --> 00:09:44.289 wondering, hopefully providing evidence like 00:09:44.289 --> 00:09:45.950 these studies I'm citing today will motivate 00:09:45.950 --> 00:09:48.649 you to get out and do something if you're not 00:09:48.649 --> 00:09:50.549 already, or maybe something that you can share 00:09:50.549 --> 00:09:52.409 with others to motivate them. So here's another 00:09:52.409 --> 00:09:54.629 study, Exercise and Mental Health, published 00:09:54.629 --> 00:09:58.029 in the journal Maturitas, the official journal 00:09:58.029 --> 00:10:01.610 of the European Menopause and Andropause Society. 00:10:01.809 --> 00:10:03.990 It's an international, multidisciplinary, peer 00:10:03.990 --> 00:10:07.090 -reviewed Journal of Midlife Health. And they 00:10:07.090 --> 00:10:10.429 outlined several other mechanisms by which exercise 00:10:10.429 --> 00:10:13.669 improves mood and mental health. And so these 00:10:13.669 --> 00:10:15.830 include, they're a little bit technical, but 00:10:15.830 --> 00:10:17.570 they include things like the endorphin hypothesis, 00:10:18.110 --> 00:10:21.850 thermogenic hypothesis, improvements in mitochondrial 00:10:21.850 --> 00:10:25.820 dysfunction. the mammalian target of rapamycin, 00:10:25.879 --> 00:10:28.480 that's one I've not heard of, neurotransmitter 00:10:28.480 --> 00:10:31.500 dysfunction, and HPA axis, which is mainly referring 00:10:31.500 --> 00:10:34.059 to adrenal function, adrenal fatigue, exhaustion 00:10:34.059 --> 00:10:36.679 from stress. And so all of these have some data, 00:10:36.740 --> 00:10:39.500 significant enough data, to suggest that they're 00:10:39.500 --> 00:10:42.179 important components of this phenomenon of how 00:10:42.179 --> 00:10:45.080 exercise helps mental health, that they are all 00:10:45.080 --> 00:10:48.120 undergoing specific studies to expand on them. 00:10:48.179 --> 00:10:49.860 So hopefully we'll find out more about that later. 00:10:50.490 --> 00:10:52.610 And if you're involved in team sports, this will 00:10:52.610 --> 00:10:54.509 be obvious. If you're a parent with a child that's 00:10:54.509 --> 00:10:56.730 in team sports, this is obvious. But if you're 00:10:56.730 --> 00:10:58.409 somebody who lives on your own or you know someone 00:10:58.409 --> 00:11:00.450 who lives on their own, it may help them to understand 00:11:00.450 --> 00:11:04.950 that exercise routines and sports help provide 00:11:04.950 --> 00:11:07.269 a distraction from negative thoughts and ruminations. 00:11:08.059 --> 00:11:12.080 directly provide a boost in self -esteem by mastering 00:11:12.080 --> 00:11:14.759 something, becoming accomplished in a skill that 00:11:14.759 --> 00:11:17.980 perhaps may be new to you. And then just the 00:11:17.980 --> 00:11:20.019 social aspect of physical activity with other 00:11:20.019 --> 00:11:22.740 people can provide a great outlet for people 00:11:22.740 --> 00:11:26.659 suffering from depression, anxiety, or any form 00:11:26.659 --> 00:11:29.000 of stress. Chronic inflammation, which underlies 00:11:29.000 --> 00:11:32.840 so many diseases of aging especially, has also 00:11:32.840 --> 00:11:36.279 been attributed as a cause of depression and 00:11:36.279 --> 00:11:37.659 poor mental health. And there's a growing body 00:11:37.659 --> 00:11:40.000 of evidence linking the immune and the nervous 00:11:40.000 --> 00:11:42.200 systems. There has been actually for a long time. 00:11:42.480 --> 00:11:45.600 This article is saying that it's presenting it 00:11:45.600 --> 00:11:46.960 as though it's something new. We've actually 00:11:46.960 --> 00:11:48.720 known a lot about that for quite a long time. 00:11:48.779 --> 00:11:50.159 But anyway, it's increasingly clear that the 00:11:50.159 --> 00:11:52.600 immune system plays a vital part in the development 00:11:52.600 --> 00:11:54.720 of mental health disorders, including anxiety 00:11:54.720 --> 00:11:59.120 and depression. so many ways to reduce inflammation 00:11:59.120 --> 00:12:02.399 with Better food with exercise, with better food, 00:12:02.460 --> 00:12:04.620 with some certain nutrients that you can take. 00:12:04.639 --> 00:12:07.120 You can test inflammatory markers to see how 00:12:07.120 --> 00:12:09.639 inflamed your system is right now with blood 00:12:09.639 --> 00:12:13.399 tests like C -reactive protein, erythrocyte sedimentation 00:12:13.399 --> 00:12:16.299 rate, ESR, which measures the viscosity of your 00:12:16.299 --> 00:12:18.379 blood. Your blood gets thicker when you have 00:12:18.379 --> 00:12:20.899 a lot of inflammatory debris floating around 00:12:20.899 --> 00:12:22.519 in it. And there's a whole host of other blood 00:12:22.519 --> 00:12:25.000 tests that you can use to measure how inflamed 00:12:25.000 --> 00:12:28.179 you are right now, even if you don't feel particularly 00:12:28.179 --> 00:12:31.259 inflamed. then use that as a metric to try something 00:12:31.259 --> 00:12:33.679 new to reduce inflammation and measure it again 00:12:33.679 --> 00:12:35.799 to make sure that you're getting the improvement 00:12:35.799 --> 00:12:37.840 you're looking for. But today we're focusing 00:12:37.840 --> 00:12:41.220 on exercise. And you may have heard, and if you 00:12:41.220 --> 00:12:43.200 haven't, research definitely has supported for 00:12:43.200 --> 00:12:46.039 a long time that the main cardiovascular benefits, 00:12:46.240 --> 00:12:48.759 reducing your risk of heart disease and dementia, 00:12:49.000 --> 00:12:52.940 those two always go together, weight loss, all 00:12:52.940 --> 00:12:55.320 the many other general health benefits that you 00:12:55.320 --> 00:12:58.940 can get from exercising. are generally best attained 00:12:58.940 --> 00:13:02.559 by exercising something like 30 to 45 minutes 00:13:02.559 --> 00:13:06.639 a day. 30 minutes a day, five times a week, 45 00:13:06.639 --> 00:13:09.480 minutes a day, three times a week, something 00:13:09.480 --> 00:13:13.039 in that range. And the connection between mental 00:13:13.039 --> 00:13:16.179 health benefits from exercise are the same. 45 00:13:16.179 --> 00:13:19.600 minutes, three to five times a week. For example, 00:13:19.720 --> 00:13:22.669 this is a study published in... The British journal 00:13:22.669 --> 00:13:27.090 Lancet Psychiatry, a study on 1 .2 million Americans 00:13:27.090 --> 00:13:31.409 from 2011 to 2015, and those who exercised had 00:13:31.409 --> 00:13:35.669 43 % fewer days of poor mental health in the 00:13:35.669 --> 00:13:38.450 previous month than those who did not exercise. 00:13:39.149 --> 00:13:41.769 And all the exercise types, any kind of exercise 00:13:41.769 --> 00:13:44.590 basically, they showed has a lower risk of mental 00:13:44.590 --> 00:13:47.809 health burden. but it ranged from 12 % to 22 00:13:47.809 --> 00:13:52.210 % compared to not exercising. The largest associations 00:13:52.210 --> 00:13:54.490 were seen for popular team sports and cycling, 00:13:54.730 --> 00:13:59.350 22 % lower, and aerobic and gym activities, 20 00:13:59.350 --> 00:14:02.350 % lower, as well as doing any kind of exercise 00:14:02.350 --> 00:14:05.769 for at least 45 minutes at a frequency of 3 to 00:14:05.769 --> 00:14:09.259 5 times per week. So this isn't really news. 00:14:09.399 --> 00:14:11.220 Most people have heard that something in that 00:14:11.220 --> 00:14:14.419 range is the ideal frequency of exercise to do. 00:14:14.480 --> 00:14:17.259 But this is a study of 1 .2 million people. So 00:14:17.259 --> 00:14:18.879 if you ever had any doubts whether it was worth 00:14:18.879 --> 00:14:22.320 to do 30 minutes instead of 20 minutes or five 00:14:22.320 --> 00:14:24.139 times a week instead of three times a week, that 00:14:24.139 --> 00:14:26.399 little extra push, if you can manage it or if 00:14:26.399 --> 00:14:28.580 you're already doing it, good for you. And if 00:14:28.580 --> 00:14:31.360 you're not, then if you're not doing anything 00:14:31.360 --> 00:14:33.840 like that amount of exercise, if there's no way 00:14:33.840 --> 00:14:37.029 you can just imagine, even imagine doing. exercise 00:14:37.029 --> 00:14:39.529 for that long or three to five days a week, if 00:14:39.529 --> 00:14:42.149 you're only able to do it once a week or for 00:14:42.149 --> 00:14:45.309 a far fewer period of time because of fatigue, 00:14:45.549 --> 00:14:48.610 because of arthritis, because of weight, because 00:14:48.610 --> 00:14:51.629 of a whole host of issues that can make it virtually 00:14:51.629 --> 00:14:53.889 impossible to exercise for some people in certain 00:14:53.889 --> 00:14:56.669 situations, then there is also hope. Here is 00:14:56.669 --> 00:14:59.250 another study that was published in the Proceedings 00:14:59.250 --> 00:15:01.090 of the Natural Academy of Sciences in September 00:15:01.090 --> 00:15:06.440 of 2024 about rapid stimulation of human dentate 00:15:06.440 --> 00:15:10.259 gyrus function with acute mild exercise. So what 00:15:10.259 --> 00:15:13.240 does that mean? Well, the human dentate gyrus 00:15:13.240 --> 00:15:15.220 function is a part of the brain associated with 00:15:15.220 --> 00:15:19.240 improved memory function. 10 seconds of mild, 00:15:19.340 --> 00:15:22.480 almost languorous exercise can immediately alter 00:15:22.480 --> 00:15:24.519 how certain parts of the brain communicate and 00:15:24.519 --> 00:15:27.570 coordinate with one another to improve. memory 00:15:27.570 --> 00:15:29.970 function is basically what this study is showing. 00:15:30.190 --> 00:15:32.850 So actually, this is suggesting, at least for 00:15:32.850 --> 00:15:35.190 brain health, that exercise does not need to 00:15:35.190 --> 00:15:37.929 be prolonged or intense. It will still benefit 00:15:37.929 --> 00:15:40.710 the brain and the effects can begin far more 00:15:40.710 --> 00:15:44.950 quickly than we previously suspected. Multiple 00:15:44.950 --> 00:15:47.070 studies with mice and rats have found that when 00:15:47.070 --> 00:15:49.610 animals run on wheels or treadmills, they develop 00:15:49.610 --> 00:15:53.190 more new brain cells than if they remain sedentary. 00:15:53.269 --> 00:15:55.269 And many of these cells are clustered in the 00:15:55.269 --> 00:15:57.500 hippocampus. part of the brain that's essential 00:15:57.500 --> 00:16:01.240 for memory creation and storage. And these animals 00:16:01.240 --> 00:16:03.940 also perform better on tests of learning and 00:16:03.940 --> 00:16:05.679 memory. Well, the hippocampus is the part of 00:16:05.679 --> 00:16:08.779 the brain that's first damaged or destroyed in 00:16:08.779 --> 00:16:11.039 most patients with Alzheimer's disease. That 00:16:11.039 --> 00:16:14.080 is the part where you form new memories. So if 00:16:14.080 --> 00:16:16.259 you've ever known somebody who's had dementia, 00:16:16.440 --> 00:16:18.379 you've probably noticed that they have a lot 00:16:18.379 --> 00:16:20.559 of their older memories. They just have difficulty 00:16:20.559 --> 00:16:23.200 remembering anything that just happened because 00:16:23.200 --> 00:16:25.659 that part of the brain that forms and deposits, 00:16:25.840 --> 00:16:29.000 and stores, new memories is the part that is 00:16:29.000 --> 00:16:30.960 hit first. So in these animal studies, they're 00:16:30.960 --> 00:16:33.799 showing that exercise is literally directly improving 00:16:33.799 --> 00:16:37.389 those most important cells. Well, to be clear, 00:16:37.470 --> 00:16:39.409 they weren't putting these rats and mice in MRI 00:16:39.409 --> 00:16:41.490 scans to see changes in their brain. To see this 00:16:41.490 --> 00:16:44.350 level of detail and specific types of cellular 00:16:44.350 --> 00:16:47.230 improvement, they have to do an autopsy. So it's 00:16:47.230 --> 00:16:49.789 not possible to do equivalent experiments examining 00:16:49.789 --> 00:16:52.750 the brain tissue in people. But some past studies 00:16:52.750 --> 00:16:55.190 have shown that people who exercise regularly 00:16:55.190 --> 00:16:59.789 have larger, healthier hippocampus cells, tissue, 00:17:00.029 --> 00:17:03.250 than those who do not, especially as they grow 00:17:03.250 --> 00:17:07.099 older. And even one bout of exercise this research 00:17:07.099 --> 00:17:09.799 is suggesting can help most of us focus and learn 00:17:09.799 --> 00:17:13.160 better than if we sit still. But most of these 00:17:13.160 --> 00:17:15.740 studies have involved moderate or vigorous exercise, 00:17:15.779 --> 00:17:19.400 such as jogging or brisk walking, and often for 00:17:19.400 --> 00:17:22.680 weeks or months at a time. So the idea that a 00:17:22.680 --> 00:17:25.910 single brief spurt of very easily... performed 00:17:25.910 --> 00:17:28.069 exercise would produce desirable changes in the 00:17:28.069 --> 00:17:30.410 brain has never really been shown before. So 00:17:30.410 --> 00:17:32.109 this new study, which was published in September 00:17:32.109 --> 00:17:35.049 of 2024 in the Proceedings of the National Academy 00:17:35.049 --> 00:17:39.089 of Sciences, scientists from the University of 00:17:39.089 --> 00:17:42.589 California in Irvine and the University of Tsukuba 00:17:42.589 --> 00:17:47.950 in Japan. used a group of healthy young college 00:17:47.950 --> 00:17:49.930 students, in part because they're easy to come 00:17:49.930 --> 00:17:52.529 by on college campuses, but also because bright, 00:17:52.710 --> 00:17:55.490 healthy young men and women should have brains 00:17:55.490 --> 00:17:57.650 and memories that are already functioning well. 00:17:57.890 --> 00:18:00.349 So for any kind of experiment to produce improvements 00:18:00.349 --> 00:18:03.369 in their brain function, its effects would need 00:18:03.369 --> 00:18:06.940 to be pretty potent. to improve on a young person's 00:18:06.940 --> 00:18:09.059 brain that already should be perfectly healthy. 00:18:09.259 --> 00:18:11.380 So the scientists invited the students into the 00:18:11.380 --> 00:18:13.380 lab and had them sit quietly on a stationary 00:18:13.380 --> 00:18:16.839 bicycle for 10 minutes or on a separate visit, 00:18:17.019 --> 00:18:20.900 pedal the bicycle at a pace so gentle it barely 00:18:20.900 --> 00:18:24.839 even raised their heart rates. So just to confirm 00:18:24.839 --> 00:18:26.740 how technically they did this, I mean, this is 00:18:26.740 --> 00:18:28.400 really impressive what they did. They measured 00:18:28.400 --> 00:18:32.259 this exercise to be performed at 30 % of each 00:18:32.259 --> 00:18:35.460 volunteer's heart rate reserve. which is the 00:18:35.460 --> 00:18:38.480 difference between their maximum heart rate and 00:18:38.480 --> 00:18:39.819 their resting heart rate. So in other words, 00:18:39.839 --> 00:18:41.700 you test their resting heart rate, you test their 00:18:41.700 --> 00:18:43.500 maximum heart rate. The difference between those 00:18:43.500 --> 00:18:46.380 two is the reserve, what they have available 00:18:46.380 --> 00:18:50.279 to tap into very quickly. And this is performed 00:18:50.279 --> 00:18:52.440 at only 30 % of that. So that is verifying that 00:18:52.440 --> 00:18:55.680 this is really gentle exercise, basically, that 00:18:55.680 --> 00:18:58.599 anybody can do. And by comparison, brisk walking. 00:18:59.319 --> 00:19:01.299 would normally raise someone's heart reserve 00:19:01.299 --> 00:19:05.059 rate to about 50%. So this is really easy exercise, 00:19:05.319 --> 00:19:08.500 and it was only for 10 minutes. Well, immediately 00:19:08.500 --> 00:19:11.700 after each session of sitting or slow pedaling, 00:19:11.819 --> 00:19:13.660 the students completed a computerized memory 00:19:13.660 --> 00:19:16.960 test, which they would see a brief picture, for 00:19:16.960 --> 00:19:19.660 instance, of a tree, followed by a variety of 00:19:19.660 --> 00:19:22.220 other images, and then a new image of either 00:19:22.220 --> 00:19:25.200 the same tree or a similar one. The students 00:19:25.200 --> 00:19:26.799 would press buttons to show whether they thought 00:19:26.799 --> 00:19:29.960 the image that they saw was a new one or the 00:19:29.960 --> 00:19:33.220 same as the earlier shot. So this test is difficult 00:19:33.220 --> 00:19:35.500 because since many of the images closely resemble 00:19:35.500 --> 00:19:38.880 one another, it requires rapid shuffling through 00:19:38.880 --> 00:19:41.460 recent memories to decide whether a picture of 00:19:41.460 --> 00:19:44.220 a tree is the same one they saw before or a new 00:19:44.220 --> 00:19:46.500 one. So then they had the scientists, they had 00:19:46.500 --> 00:19:49.460 each student repeat this sequence, riding or 00:19:49.460 --> 00:19:51.869 sitting on a bike. for 10 minutes, and then completing 00:19:51.869 --> 00:19:54.190 the memory testing. But the testing now took 00:19:54.190 --> 00:19:56.710 place inside an MRI machine that scanned their 00:19:56.710 --> 00:20:00.390 brains while they responded to the images. And 00:20:00.390 --> 00:20:02.970 then they compared the results. Well, the effects 00:20:02.970 --> 00:20:06.130 of exercise, undemanding as it was, were clear. 00:20:06.390 --> 00:20:08.910 The young people were better at remembering images 00:20:08.910 --> 00:20:11.789 after they had ridden the bike, especially when 00:20:11.789 --> 00:20:14.630 the images most closely resembled one another. 00:20:15.150 --> 00:20:17.230 In other words, the harder their memories had 00:20:17.230 --> 00:20:20.420 to strain, the better they performed. after exercise. 00:20:21.180 --> 00:20:25.059 And more unexpectedly, their brains also worked 00:20:25.059 --> 00:20:28.339 differently after they had ridden. The MRI scans 00:20:28.339 --> 00:20:31.779 showed that the portions of each student's hippocampus 00:20:31.779 --> 00:20:34.019 that's so important for creating new memories 00:20:34.019 --> 00:20:37.059 lit up in synchronized fashion with the parts 00:20:37.059 --> 00:20:39.720 of the brain associated with learning, indicating 00:20:39.720 --> 00:20:42.119 that these physically separate parts of the brain 00:20:42.119 --> 00:20:45.539 were better connected now than when the students 00:20:45.539 --> 00:20:49.880 had not exercised. So that's amazing, and that's 00:20:49.880 --> 00:20:52.660 showing that better than any research I've ever 00:20:52.660 --> 00:20:56.440 seen before, how directly even a brief 10 -minute 00:20:56.440 --> 00:20:59.480 period of gentle exercise is directly affecting 00:20:59.480 --> 00:21:03.039 and improving and restoring brain, potentially 00:21:03.039 --> 00:21:06.119 restoring brain function. So the greater the 00:21:06.119 --> 00:21:07.940 coordination between these disparate parts of 00:21:07.940 --> 00:21:09.299 the brain, the better the students performed 00:21:09.299 --> 00:21:13.680 on the memory test. So it's exciting to see these 00:21:13.680 --> 00:21:16.920 effects occurring so quickly. And they show that 00:21:16.920 --> 00:21:19.000 exercise can change people's brains right away 00:21:19.000 --> 00:21:23.599 without requiring weeks of workout and with minimal 00:21:23.599 --> 00:21:27.220 exertion. Basically exercise that anyone can 00:21:27.220 --> 00:21:29.849 do. I'm Dr. Todd Binkley. You're listening to 00:21:29.849 --> 00:21:32.210 Safe, Effective Natural Solutions to Almost Any 00:21:32.210 --> 00:21:33.849 Health Challenge. Before we finish up today, 00:21:33.990 --> 00:21:36.230 I want to do an update. Last two episodes, I 00:21:36.230 --> 00:21:38.710 talked about osteoporosis. And one of the things 00:21:38.710 --> 00:21:41.670 I mentioned, trying to give women who are a little 00:21:41.670 --> 00:21:44.309 heavier a break on other things they have to 00:21:44.309 --> 00:21:47.029 worry about. It is true that if you are heavier 00:21:47.029 --> 00:21:50.589 and especially thicker boned and densely built, 00:21:50.650 --> 00:21:53.890 you have a much lower risk of osteoporosis than 00:21:53.890 --> 00:21:56.289 thin women. So thin women have a much higher 00:21:56.289 --> 00:21:59.130 risk of osteoporosis. osteoporosis, but that's 00:21:59.130 --> 00:22:03.829 mainly thin middle -aged to younger women. Postmenopausal 00:22:03.829 --> 00:22:08.190 women who are obese have, and actually have a 00:22:08.190 --> 00:22:11.630 higher risk of ankle and upper leg fractures. 00:22:11.750 --> 00:22:13.710 So this is a study that just came out since that 00:22:13.710 --> 00:22:16.470 past episode, just this past week. American Journal 00:22:16.470 --> 00:22:19.430 of Medicine published a study saying that obesity 00:22:19.430 --> 00:22:23.450 is not protective against fracture in postmenopausal 00:22:23.450 --> 00:22:26.210 women. Well, why is that? Well, what's the main 00:22:26.210 --> 00:22:29.750 feature of postmenopause? Low estrogen. And estrogen 00:22:29.750 --> 00:22:32.250 is a key part of metabolism that promotes the 00:22:32.250 --> 00:22:36.069 activity of the osteoblasts, the bone -building 00:22:36.069 --> 00:22:39.369 cells, which are the cells that make bone. And 00:22:39.369 --> 00:22:42.009 when a person has low levels of estrogen, they 00:22:42.009 --> 00:22:45.160 have an increased risk of osteoporosis. and fractures. 00:22:45.960 --> 00:22:49.779 So when a person has low level of estrogen and 00:22:49.779 --> 00:22:52.420 they're obese, the combination of those two is 00:22:52.420 --> 00:22:55.059 going to be even worse. Low estrogen also contributes 00:22:55.059 --> 00:22:57.799 to obesity in multiple ways that are just beginning 00:22:57.799 --> 00:23:00.400 to be understood. But of course, if you have 00:23:00.400 --> 00:23:05.079 a reduced capacity to rebuild, and extra weight 00:23:05.079 --> 00:23:07.539 being carried by those bones, both of those things 00:23:07.539 --> 00:23:10.359 are going to increase your risk of fracture. 00:23:10.460 --> 00:23:13.259 So it is a good idea for any woman, even heavier 00:23:13.259 --> 00:23:16.460 women over a certain age, if you have had fractures 00:23:16.460 --> 00:23:19.779 before. Or if you find that a fracture takes 00:23:19.779 --> 00:23:22.619 more time to heal or if you have a family history 00:23:22.619 --> 00:23:25.380 of fractures, then it may be a good idea to get 00:23:25.380 --> 00:23:28.640 a bone density scan as early as in your 50s as 00:23:28.640 --> 00:23:31.940 opposed to waiting to the standard age 65 or 00:23:31.940 --> 00:23:34.480 more. And then you know if you have good bone 00:23:34.480 --> 00:23:37.059 density or not and you can take certain steps 00:23:37.059 --> 00:23:39.299 to improve that bone density with the nutrients 00:23:39.299 --> 00:23:42.269 that your body needs to heal and repair. bone 00:23:42.269 --> 00:23:44.809 all the time. So if you have any questions about 00:23:44.809 --> 00:23:48.009 osteoporosis, about how you can incorporate exercise, 00:23:48.049 --> 00:23:49.930 or if you're having difficulty, if anything is 00:23:49.930 --> 00:23:52.789 stopping you from exercising, if you have some, 00:23:52.829 --> 00:23:55.569 if you or someone you love has just is so stiff 00:23:55.569 --> 00:23:58.529 or in pain that they can't exercise, then I can 00:23:58.529 --> 00:24:00.049 probably help you. And I'd love an opportunity 00:24:00.049 --> 00:24:03.569 to identify ways to make it easier for you to 00:24:03.569 --> 00:24:06.470 exercise. If you just have unrelenting fatigue, 00:24:06.670 --> 00:24:09.630 there are a couple of dozen things that most 00:24:09.630 --> 00:24:11.980 doctors never even check for. that contribute 00:24:11.980 --> 00:24:14.359 to fatigue, which almost never has one cause. 00:24:14.420 --> 00:24:16.839 It's a number of factors combining to make you 00:24:16.839 --> 00:24:18.380 feel exhausted all the time. And then we can 00:24:18.380 --> 00:24:20.599 identify those things. Unappropriate testing. 00:24:21.240 --> 00:24:24.119 and get you feeling better. As always, thank 00:24:24.119 --> 00:24:26.339 you for listening. Have a wonderful weekend. 00:24:26.660 --> 00:24:29.720 You've been listening to Safe, Effective Natural 00:24:29.720 --> 00:24:33.000 Solutions with Dr. Todd Binkley. If you have 00:24:33.000 --> 00:24:35.119 a health question you want discussed on the show, 00:24:35.339 --> 00:24:40.200 email your health questions to drbinkley at binkleyhealingcenter 00:24:40.200 --> 00:24:43.900 .com Take advantage of this opportunity to ask 00:24:43.900 --> 00:24:46.500 questions for yourself and for your loved ones 00:24:46.500 --> 00:24:50.400 because our health matters. Join him next Friday 00:24:50.569 --> 00:24:54.390 at 2 p .m. for safe, effective natural solutions 00:24:54.390 --> 00:24:57.630 here on 98 .3 FM, The Word.