Why 93% of Chronic Diseases Are Preventable: The Exercise-Brain Connection

This podcast episode of Next Level Healing features Dr. Tara Perry speaking with fitness industry expert Kevin Steel, PhD, about the transformative benefits of exercise for brain health, anti-aging, and overall well-being.

Kevin Steel brings decades of experience in health and fitness, having completed multiple Ironman competitions and holding a PhD in exercise physiology with a subspecialty in nutrition. He spent his career working with everyone from corporate executives to athletes, eventually becoming director of education research and member services for the world's largest health club company. 

The conversation centers on Steel's assertion that exercise is like a miracle drug - "if science could put it inside a pill, people would be lined up around the block, willing to pay anything to get it". He emphasizes that only 7% of chronic diseases are genetic, meaning 93% are lifestyle-related and preventable. 

Key benefits of exercise discussed include:

Brain Health: Regular exercise regenerates neurons and expands gray and white matter in the brain [13:52]. It stimulates brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which acts like "fertilizer for your brain" [15:32]. Exercise can reduce amyloid plaques associated with Alzheimer's and dementia [13:52].

Mental Health: Steel references Dr. John Ratey's book "Spark," which demonstrated that exercise therapy can achieve the same or better results than pharmaceutical drugs for treating anxiety, depression, and stress [21:12] [21:38].

Physical Health: Exercise improves cardiovascular function, blood pressure, insulin sensitivity, and can even reverse type 2 diabetes when combined with healthy eating [18:58] [16:32] [18:01].

Children's Health: A study in Naperville, Illinois showed that structured exercise programs eliminated ADHD symptoms in children, allowed them to go off medications like Ritalin, and dramatically improved academic test scores [23:05] [23:34] [23:44].

Steel advocates for a whole food, plant-based diet, noting concerns about hormones and antibiotics in mass-produced animal products [34:11]. He emphasizes that exercise doesn't require expensive equipment - simple activities like walking 30 minutes daily cost nothing but provide significant health benefits [29:33].

Despite these proven benefits, only 26% of American adults exercise regularly, and only 18-20% belong to health clubs [28:34]. Steel attributes this partly to doctors receiving little education about exercise science in medical school, leaving patients without specific guidance when told to "eat better and exercise" [30:53] [31:41].

The episode concludes with Steel's contact information for those seeking more guidance: LinkedIn at Kevin D Steel PhD: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevindsteelephd and email at KDsteelphd@yahoo.com

Work with Dr. Tara Perry

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