[Harumanbo Harucheonja] Professor Kim Jaejin Talks About Brain Health... "The Solution to Slow Mind Aging Is Exercise"

Efforts to Easily Convey Complex Neuroscience

Adapting with Changing Times Is Key to Staying Young
When the Body Ages, the Mind Ages Too... Walking Is Ideal

Actively Recommended for Patients with Depression and Anxiety
You Can Change Your Brain by Willpower
"You Must Give Up Momentary Convenience"

Professor Kim Jae-jin's books, Listen to the Brain and The Wisdom of Reverse Thinking.
[Photo by 21st Century Books]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-ju] Professor Kim Jae-jin, a psychiatrist at Gangnam Severance Hospital who has studied the brain for 30 years, contemplates how to easily introduce our brain to the public. Everyone is governed by the brain, but few truly understand how to manage and use it. Professor Kim’s books, Listen to the Brain and Wisdom of Reverse Thinking, reflect this concern. While Listen to the Brain discusses brain science for our happiness, Wisdom of Reverse Thinking reinterprets common proverbs from a neuroscientific perspective to make them more approachable.

In his books, Professor Kim calmly explains our brain in connection with everyday life. He says, "Adapting to the inevitable changes of the times as we move steadily from our 30s to our 70s and evolving together is what maintains youth; maintaining the feelings of your 20s is not youth." If you have held a license obtained in your 20s without ever renewing it until your 60s, that license is merely outdated knowledge clung to stubbornly. Any license requires retraining and renewal, and only then can one claim to have the same or higher expertise as younger license holders.

Professor Kim states, "The control of both body and mind occurs through a single process in our brain. As the body ages, so does the mind. Since we cannot avoid bodily aging, continuous renewal is necessary to at least delay mental aging." He emphasizes, "It is necessary to plant other grass to reduce the space for weeds," referring to exercise. By actively moving the body and expending energy, we can disperse the energy consumption caused by repetitive thinking in the brain. Ideally, long-duration exercise is needed, making walking the perfect choice.

Professor Kim Jae-jin of the Department of Psychiatry at Gangnam Severance Hospital is conducting a panel discussion at the 'Good Brain 2022 International Conference' hosted by Asia Economy. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

Professor Kim actively recommends walking exercises even to patients suffering from depression or anxiety, his areas of expertise, because physical activity from walking has a decisive effect on activating the brain’s emotional centers. Middle-aged patients tend to follow this advice relatively well, but younger patients often do not. They avoid it out of laziness, and even if they try, they give up quickly. To overcome this, Professor Kim advises letting go of momentary convenience. When you need to take an escalator or elevator, take the stairs instead. If you have to go somewhere not far, leave a little earlier and walk. For those who can afford it, installing a treadmill in the living room to walk while watching TV is also recommended.

Professor Kim insists, "It is no exaggeration to say that our life is ultimately an expression of brain function," adding, "All the elements of our mind are set within the brain, but whether we use them properly is a separate matter. The responsibility for that use lies entirely with the individual." Whether one strengthens the positive elements hidden in the brain to become socially friendly or strengthens the negative elements to regress socially depends on the individual. The fact that one can change their brain by their own will means that incomplete evolution can be a blessing for humans. After all, one’s life is not a puppet of an evolved brain.

Editor's NoteAsia Economy is launching the '2023 National Brain Health Project' with the '10,000 Steps and 1,000 Characters a Day' campaign. This campaign encourages walking 10,000 steps and writing 1,000 characters daily to maintain a sharp brain in a healthy centenarian era. To support this, the '10,000 Steps and 1,000 Characters a Day Newsletter' provides subscribers with recommended walking courses and writing content. The '10,000 Steps and 1,000 Characters a Day' campaign is the most cost-effective and wise exercise to protect yourself and your family.