reMYnd — Exercise: Quick Wins
01 / 08 Exercise

Move to protect your brain

Exercise is the most powerful brain-protecting habit we have. Tick off the actions below — start with the top 5. You don't need to wait for a "focus month" to begin.

9,800
steps a day. Linked to about 50% lower dementia risk.
2x
strength sessions a week. Minimum to keep muscle in midlife.
<10h
total daily sitting. Past this, brain risk climbs.
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Start Here — Top 5

Tick as you go. Saved automatically.
This alone meets the level needed for heart and brain benefit. It's the floor everything else builds on.
From midlife, you lose muscle every year unless you train. Two sessions is the minimum to hold what you have. Bodyweight counts — squats, push-ups, hip hinges. What matters is making each session a bit harder than the last.
A study of 78,430 adults found 9,800 steps a day was the sweet spot — about 50% lower dementia risk. Track for two weeks to see your starting point, then build up.
Stand near a wall in case you wobble. Eyes open at first. Once that's easy, try eyes closed. Adults who can balance for 10+ seconds have lower fall and heart disease risk.
A study of 49,841 adults found brain risk only climbed once daily sitting passed 10 hours. Once total time was counted, how often you stood up didn't matter independently. Aim for less total sitting — not perfect break timing.
HIIT means short bursts of hard effort with rest in between. We use the 4×4 protocol (full details in Month 2). It's a time-efficient way to build heart fitness — but research shows it's not better than walking for the brain. Use it for fitness, not because you think it protects the brain more.
These aren't extras. Research shows dance and tai chi beat standard cardio for brain benefits. They mix movement, balance, learning, and social contact in one. If you enjoy either, make it your main exercise.
It will feel hard. That's the point. Walking and thinking at the same time forces your brain to share resources — a stimulus neither alone can give.
People who plan exercise ahead do far more sessions than people who plan to fit it in when they can. Treat it like a doctor's appointment.
Write down what stops you most often. Then fix that one thing. Time? Schedule it differently. Motivation? Find a partner. Gear? Lay it out the night before. Removing friction beats adding willpower.
Rate your effort from 1 (resting) to 10 (max). Moderate = 5–6 (comfy but breathing harder). Hard = 7–8. Max = 9–10 (can't keep going past 1–2 minutes). Write the number next to each session.
Find your resting heart rate (count beats for 60 seconds when you wake up). Subtract your age from 220 — that's your max. Moderate effort = a heart rate between 50% and 70% of the gap between those two numbers. Know it before Month 2.
Walk as far as you can in 6 minutes on a flat path. Write down the metres. It's a tested measure of fitness that tracks heart and overall health.
Sit in a firm chair, arms crossed on chest. Count how many full stand-ups you can do in 30 seconds. It's a quick test of leg strength, power, and fall risk.
Push (press-up, shoulder press). Pull (row, band pull-apart). Hinge (deadlift, hip hinge). Cover these three patterns each session and you'll train every major muscle.
If you want the bigger picture
Why exercise comes first

Exercise is the single most evidence-based way to protect your brain. It also improves heart health, blood sugar, sleep, and mood at the same time. No supplement, drug, or brain-training app does all of that.

In the FINGER trial — the biggest dementia prevention study to date — exercise had the largest effect on thinking and memory of any single part.

The 6 ways you'll move in reMYnd

Your program covers six types of movement. Together they create the full brain-protective effect.

Cardio
Steady walking, cycling, swimming. The base layer.
HIIT
Short hard bursts. Builds fitness fast.
Strength + power
Holds onto muscle, bone, and speed.
Balance + agility
Cuts fall risk. Keeps the brain–body link sharp.
Dual-tasking
Move and think at once. A potent brain stimulus.
Mobility
Range of motion. Lets you train safely all year.
Your focus months: 2, 3 and 10

Month 2 — Cardio fitness. Builds your aerobic base and teaches HIIT.

Month 3 — Strength and resistance. Builds and keeps muscle, bone, and power.

Month 10 — Movement quality and control. Sharpens balance, coordination, and dual-tasking.

You don't have to wait. The actions above start you on all of these now.

reMYnd is a prevention program, not a clinical treatment. If you have a medical condition, speak with your doctor before lifting intensity. Bring questions to your next live call. © reMYnd by Naomi Ferstera — remynd.com.au