Putting Your Brain Health First
Designed by Bearmore
Inspired by Lisa MosconiA brain at fifty might need different things from a brain at thirty.
Treat the brain with care, starting first thing in the day. A morning Burst inspired by Lisa Mosconi's menopause brain research: steady cardio, gentle mobility, a few rounds of breathing, a brain-supportive breakfast, and a bit of journal writing.
The runsheet
Solid cardio, but nothing heroic
Cardio trainingMosconi's neuroscience research consistently names sustained aerobic activity as the most under-prescribed cognitive intervention in midlife. Twenty-five minutes of moderate cardio; the dose she advocates is regularity over intensity.
25 min activityBearmore’s thoughts on doing cardio training before stretching
This is an excellent pairing because warm muscles lengthen easily, so stretching now improves range and may help lessen tomorrow's stiffness.
Stretch it out
StretchingTen minutes of slow stretching as another level of wake-up for the body. Mosconi treats stretching as both mobility and stress practice; the body wakes up and the system stays parasympathetic-leaning.
10 min activityBearmore’s thoughts on doing stretching before breath work
This can help because body awareness and any relaxation can enhance more complex breathing practices.
Slow nasal breathing
Breath workMosconi's stress work treats cortisol as a brain-health variable. Ten minutes of slow nasal breath to nudge the system parasympathetic. The point is the regularity; cumulative effect across years, not a single morning.
10 min activityBearmore’s thoughts on doing breath work before eating (mindful)
There's a useful connection here because a calm, regulated state can help you eat more slowly and notice satiety.
Brain breakfast
Eating (mindful)Mosconi’s menopause brain work points to a protein-and-omega-3 breakfast as a simple nutrition move that may support cognitive symptoms. Give yourself 15 minutes to sit down and eat it, eggs, yoghurt, oily fish, or whatever you prefer.
15 min activityBearmore’s thoughts on doing eating (mindful) before journaling
This is an excellent pairing because writing can help you capture the sensations and reflections before they fade, so you can return to them later.
Journal
JournalingTen minutes of writing to help clear your thinking. Mosconi has spoken about ordered cognition as something you can practise finding, rather than waiting for it to happen. Write about what’s heavy, write about what’s on your mind, then let it go.
10 min activityTime well spent.
1h 47m spent doing something good for yourself.
The breakdown
Burst evaluation
Wellbeing focus
About this Burst
Lisa Mosconi is a neuroscientist, 2x NYT bestselling author, and Director of the Women's Brain Initiative at Weill Cornell Medicine. NIH-funded research on early detection and prevention of Alzheimer's in at-risk women. Author of The Menopause Brain (2024) and The XX Brain. TED talk on menopause and the brain has 4M+ views. 365K followers on @dr_mosconi.