Neuroscientist shares '3 exercises that can help you grow new brain cells' as adults: Dance classes are a great way to…

Turn out, exercise is not only good for your heart but can also boost brain health: Robert Love shares 3 exercises that can help you grow new brain cells.

Who said adults can’t grow new brain cells? Neuroscience now shows that certain forms of exercise can stimulate powerful growth hormones in the brain, helping create new neurons and even repair existing ones. From resistance training to exercises that challenge both body and mind, simple daily movements can meaningfully support cognitive health.

Robert Love, a Florida-based neuroscientist specialising in Alzheimer’s prevention, has shared three exercises that can help you grow new brain cells. In an Instagram video shared on December 9, the neuroscientist explains, “I want to cite the work of Dr Elizabeth Gould, a neuroscientist at Princeton. She has published in the top journals about how we can grow new brain cells as adults, specifically in the hippocampus, the memory centre of your brain. Here are three great exercises that can help you grow new brain cells.”

Resistance training

According to Robert, resistance training - such as weightlifting, push-ups, and other exercises that challenge the muscles - can help stimulate the growth of new brain cells, a point he supports by citing the work of Dr Austin Pearlmutter. He explains, “When you do that, your muscles release a growth factor called BDNF - brain derived neurotrophic factor. This is the growth factor that facilitates the growth of new brain cells. It also helps repair your brain. So when you do resistance training, you're releasing growth hormones that help grow new brain cells.”

Dual task exercise

The neuroscientist cites, “I learned this from Dr Heather Sanderson, who's actually reversed memory loss in her clinical trial, and she published it in the top journal in the field, the journal of Alzheimer's disease.” He explains dual-task exercise as engaging the mind while moving the body - for example, going for a walk while having an engaging conversation with a friend.

He elaborates further, “You're physically moving your body and your brain is thinking. You could also be listening to a podcast and learning from it. Don't just listen to something entertaining - watching TV does not count. Maybe watching a documentary if you're really thinking about it, but using your mind at the same time as moving your body. By the way, dance classes are a great way to do this.”

Leg exercises

Robert cites a study involving twins whose brain health was assessed and then re-evaluated a decade later; the twin with stronger leg muscles was found to have a significantly lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. He recommends incorporating leg-strengthening exercises, such as squats, noting that “strong legs equal a strong brain.”

He suggests, “Make sure you're exercising your legs. A great thing to do is squats. You can also do this with a chair. You can sit down on a chair and stand back up. Do that 10 times a day. You're doing 10 chair squats that strengthen your legs.”

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