The most common explanation for why exercise makes us happy is far too simplistic. The psychological effects of movement cannot be reduced to just an endorphin rush. Physical activity influences many other brain chemicals, including those that give you energy, alleviate worry, and help you bond with others. It reduces inflammation in the brain, which over time can protect against depression, anxiety, and loneliness. Regular exercise also remodels the physical structure of your brain to make you more receptive to joy and social connection. 

In this mini-episode, Dhru speaks with Dr. Kelly McGonigal, Ryan Glatt, and Dr. Rangan Chatterjee about how exercise can improve the treatment outcomes for depression and anxiety, how exercise decreases our chance of cognitive decline, and simple ways to build exercise into your everyday life.

Dr. Kelly McGonigal is a health psychologist who specializes in understanding the mind-body connection. She is the best-selling author of The Willpower Instinct and The Upside of Stress. Her latest book, The Joy of Movement, explores why physical exercise is a powerful antidote to the modern epidemics of depression, anxiety, and loneliness.

Ryan Glatt is a personal trainer and brain-health coach with over a decade of experience in the health and fitness industry. He currently works alongside clinicians and researchers to study the effects of cognitively-enhanced and comprehensive exercise plans at the Pacific Brain Health Center in Santa Monica, California. 

Dr. Rangan Chatterjee is regarded as one of the most influential medical doctors in the UK and hosts the most listened to health podcast in the UK and Europe, Feel Better, Live More. His first three books have all been #1 Sunday Times bestsellers, and his latest book, Feel Better in 5, shows people how to transform their health in just 5 minutes. Dr. Chatterjee regularly appears on BBC News and Television and has been featured in numerous international publications including The New York Times , Forbes, The Guardian and Vogue, and his TED talk, How To Make Disease Disappear, has been viewed almost 3 million times.

Find Dhru’s full-length conversation with Dr. Kelly McGonigal here: https://broken-brain.lnk.to/DrKellyMcGonigal/

Find Dhru’s full-length conversation with Ryan Glatt here: https://broken-brain.lnk.to/RyanGlatt/

Find Dhru’s full-length conversation with Dr. Rangan Chatterjee here: https://broken-brain.lnk.to/RanganChatterjee/

For more on Dhru Purohit, be sure to follow him on Instagram @dhrupurohit, on Facebook @dhruxpurohit, on Twitter @dhrupurohit, and on YouTube @dhrupurohit. You can also text Dhru at (302) 200-5643 or click here https://my.community.com/dhrupurohit.

Interested in joining Dhru’s Broken Brain Podcast Facebook Community? Submit your request to join here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2819627591487473/.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices