Learn Something Hard After 60: Why Struggle Grows Your Brain

Karl welcomes back longevity researchers Aubrey de Grey (LEV Foundation) and Kelsey Moody (Ichor), who first appeared on the show about two years ago.LEV Foundation update: Aubrey says the longevity field is speeding up. LEV’s own work has stalled for now because its next large combination study, with thousands of mice, needs philanthropic money, and wealthy donors are being pulled toward AI safety and toward investing in longevity companies. The good news is that every new mouse result gives LEV more interventions to combine.Ichor’s work: Kelsey runs two preclinical sites (Lafayette and Syracuse) and has added a clinical-trials arm in Syracuse that focuses on age-related disease. Ichor tests aging therapies in the eye first. The eye is small, so the drug costs less to make, and it’s immune-privileged, but the targets are meant for use across the whole body later. Its portfolio company Lento Bio has a small molecule that breaks protein crosslinks in the lens. In animal and cadaver lenses it restored about 50% of the lens’s flexibility. Human trials of an eye drop to replace reading glasses are expected in the second half of 2027. Ichor is recruiting trial participants in Central New York.Crosslinking: Aubrey explains that there are “easy” crosslinks, which can be reversed, and “hard” ones, which the body can’t repair. Crosslinks contribute to wrinkles, stiff arteries and high blood pressure in older people, and possibly to problems in the brain. When he first published in 2002 he had one approach for each of seven types of damage. Now there are several for each, and the list of damage types hasn’t grown.Brain and neuroplasticity: Late-life loss of neuroplasticity may come from fewer synapses, slower myelin repair and senescent astrocytes. In MS, the cells that rebuild myelin still exist but stop working as well, and the task is to restart them. In Parkinson’s, making dopamine is toxic to the neurons that produce it. Fetal cell transplants about 35 years ago sometimes left patients symptom-free for more than a decade. About five stem-cell trials are now underway. Aubrey couldn’t comment on DC electrical stimulation such as NEUBIE.Lifestyle: A sensible lifestyle matters, but going beyond it adds little, because breathing oxygen itself drives the damage. Stress matters, mainly in how you react to it. The real fix is repairing damage, like maintaining a vintage car, without needing to understand everything that causes it.Closing: Kelsey says Ichor’s startups grew out of Aubrey’s early work and urges listeners to give this holiday season. Aubrey explains that companies like Altos and Calico go after the easy, profitable targets. LEV’s combination studies produce nothing patentable, so they depend on donors. Donations go through LEVF.org.

Good morning, and welcome back to The Karl Sterling Podcast. I'm Karl Sterling.Let me ask you something. When was the last time you were truly bad at something?Not mildly challenged. I mean clumsy, frustrated, making mistakes, feeling like a beginner.For most adults, especially as we get older, the honest answer is: a long time ago. We stick to what we know. We do the things we're already good at. And it feels comfortable.But here's the problem. Comfort may be one of the worst things for an aging brain.[THE BIG IDEA]For a long time, people believed the adult brain was basically fixed. You got what you got, and after a certain age it was all downhill.We now know that's not true. Your brain keeps changing throughout your life. That's called neuroplasticity. But here's the key: your brain changes when it's challenged, not when it's comfortable.In one well-known study, researchers asked older adults to spend about three months learning a demanding new skill, like digital photography or quilting. Another group did activities that were social or relaxing but didn't require learning anything hard.At the end, the people who learned the challenging new skill showed improvements in memory. The people doing easy, familiar activities didn't see the same benefit.Other studies have shown that learning a new physical skill, like juggling, can produce measurable changes in the brain, and that includes older adults.The lesson is simple. Doing crossword puzzles you're already good at is nice. But struggling to learn something new is what really drives change.[WHY HARD MATTERS]Here's why the struggle is the point.When you do something familiar, your brain runs on autopilot. It uses pathways it already built years ago. Very little new wiring is needed.But when you try something new and difficult, your brain has to pay attention. It has to make mistakes, notice them and adjust. That process of error and correction is exactly what builds new connections.So that frustration you feel when you're learning something new? That's not failure. That's your brain under construction.[PERSONAL STORY]I played drums professionally for more than 35 years. And I can tell you, nothing humbles you like learning a new rhythm where your right hand, left hand, right foot and left foot are all doing something different.At first, it feels impossible. Your limbs don't cooperate. Your brain feels like it's going to short-circuit. Then one day, it clicks. And what was impossible becomes automatic.That moment when it clicks is your brain physically rewiring itself. I've felt it thousands of times. And today, in my work with people living with Parkinson's and other neurological conditions, I see the same thing happen at every age.[WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT]So here's your challenge. Pick something new, something a little hard, and commit to it. A few ideas:1. Learn an instrument. Music trains timing, memory, coordination and listening all at once.2. Learn a new language. Every new word and sentence builds new connections.3. Learn to dance. It combines movement, rhythm, memory and balance, often with other people.4. Learn a new physical skill. Juggling, tai chi, pickleball, swimming, anything that makes your body and brain work together in a new way.5. Learn a hands-on craft. Painting, woodworking, knitting or photography all count, as long as it challenges you.The rules are simple. It should be new. It should be hard enough that you make mistakes. And you should stick with it long enough to improve.[CLOSE]Here's what I want you to think about today. Getting older doesn't mean your brain has stopped growing. It may just mean you've stopped asking it to.So be a beginner again. Be clumsy. Make mistakes. Laugh at yourself. That's what a growing brain looks like.What's one hard thing you've always wanted to learn? Start it this week.I'm Karl Sterling. Keep moving, and I'll see you tomorrow.

Did you know your feet are connected to your brain? Understanding this neural link is key to improving your physical control.Most people view walking as a simple leg activity, but it is actually a complex function of your nervous system. Every step requires your brain, spinal cord, and sensory nerves to communicate in real time. When you practice motor control, you are essentially training your brain to manage your body more efficiently. This video breaks down why the connection between your feet and your brain is the foundation for lasting mobility.By focusing on neuroplasticity, you can refine how your nervous system processes movement. If you want to maintain your independence, you must prioritize your balance training and coordination today. We discuss how simple, intentional movements can help you rewire these pathways, regardless of your current fitness level.Subscribe for weekly nervous system health breakdowns, and let me know in the comments if you want more exercises to improve your gait.http://www.karlsterling.comhttp://www.brainbodybones.com

When was the last time a doctor timed how fast you walk?They check your blood pressure, your heart rate, your weight and your cholesterol. But almost nobody puts a stopwatch on your walk. That's a shame, because researchers have been calling walking speed "the sixth vital sign." It may tell us more about how you're aging than most of the numbers on your chart.Today we're going to talk about why, and I'm going to show you how to test yourself at home in under a minute.A large analysis published in JAMA followed tens of thousands of older adults. One of the strongest predictors of who lived longer was simple: how fast they walked at their normal, comfortable pace.It wasn't how much they bench pressed or what their diet looked like. It was walking speed.Why would something so ordinary be so powerful? Because walking isn't just a leg activity. It's one of the most complex things your brain does.Every step needs your brain, your spinal cord, your muscles, your joints, your inner ear, your eyes and the nerves in the bottoms of your feet, all talking to each other in real time. Your heart and lungs have to keep up, and so does your confidence.So when walking speed drops, it's rarely just about your legs. It's often an early signal that something in that whole system is starting to slip.I spent more than 35 years behind a drum kit. What drumming taught me is that timing lives in the brain. Your hands and feet only express it.Walking is the same. It has a rhythm, a tempo. When I see a client's gait start to slow, shorten or lose its arm swing, I'm not just watching their legs. I'm watching their nervous system keep time. And just like with a drummer, that timing can be trained.Here's your challenge for today. It's simple.Measure out about 13 feet, which is 4 meters, in a hallway or on your driveway. Mark the start and the finish.Start a few steps before the start line so you're already moving.Walk at your normal, everyday pace. Don't race. Just walk.Have someone time you from the start line to the finish line, or time yourself with your phone.Here's how to read it. If you cover those 4 meters in about 4 seconds or less, that's roughly one meter per second, which is a healthy, strong pace. If it takes you 5 seconds or more, that's a signal worth paying attention to. It doesn't mean something is wrong. It means it's time to get to work.The good news is that walking speed is not fixed. It responds to training, at any age.Walk with purpose. Every day, add a few short stretches where you walk a little faster than comfortable.Get stronger. Your calves, hips and thighs are your engine. Sit-to-stands from a chair are a great place to start.Train your balance. If you feel unsteady, your brain slows you down to protect you. Improve the balance and the speed follows.Challenge your brain while you walk. Talk, count backward or change direction. Real life isn't a straight hallway.Swing your arms. It's not decoration. It drives rhythm and momentum.Here's what I want you to think about today. We don't stop moving because we get old. Very often, we get old because we stop moving.Your walk is telling a story about your brain, your body and your future. So go measure it. Write the number down, and test it again in a month.And when was the last time you walked fast just because you could? Go do it today.http://www.karlsterling.comhttp://[email protected]

What was fascinating is that, as I mentioned, 58% of participants, the people who had these carotid artery plaques removed, had plastic in them. And people who had plastic in their plaques had a 4.5-fold rise in the risk of a very bad outcome, like a heart attack, a stroke, or just all-cause mortality in the follow-up. So basically, if plastic was present, there was a 4.5-fold higher chance of having a very bad cardiovascular outcome.So we've got to take this seriously. That's especially true because, like processed food, which we talked about, plastic is a brand-new invention in human history. We've normalized it, but it's really new. Plastic was actually invented in 1907, just over a hundred years ago. And since then, we have produced 8.3 billion metric tons of plastic, and we are producing 350 million metric tons per year at an increasing rate. I mean, just think about that for two seconds.Here's just a real example of what plastic is in. It's in all of our polyester clothing. It's in any of our non-polyester clothing that has stretch in it, because that's a stretchy plastic material. It's in our sheets if they're synthetic. It's our water bottles, our food storage containers, the coffee cups we're using. Um, it's… it's everywhere.And aside from it depositing in our tissues, the other wild thing is that these plastics actually act as estrogen mimics in the body, what are called xenoestrogens. They contain chemicals like bisphenols and dioxins, and these are actually hormone-disrupting chemicals, some of which can bind to things like our estrogen receptors in men and women. And so you're seeing things like sperm counts plummeting. Sperm counts are down 50% since the 1970s. Infertility in both men and women is skyrocketing. Fertility rates are going down 1% per year. And it kind of makes sense when you think about this ubiquitous toxic stew that we're sitting in.

Can the adult brain actually repair itself? On this episode of The Karl Sterling Podcast, I sit down with Dr. Dominic D’Agostino, one of the world’s leading researchers on ketogenic metabolism and exogenous ketones. We look at where metabolism, movement, and brain health meet.We dig into how ketones act as both fuel and signal for the brain. We discuss why combining ketones with exercise may create a strong environment for neuroplasticity, and how the brain’s energy crisis after concussion and traumatic brain injury might be addressed. We also cover neuroinflammation, the common thread linking aging, injury, and neurodegenerative conditions like Parkinson’s, and the role of metabolic flexibility as we age.I work every day with people living with Parkinson’s and other neurological conditions, so I wanted to understand one big question: what is the optimal environment for the brain to rebuild, and what can we actually do about it starting today?🧠 In this episode:Exogenous Ketones: Fuel, Signal, or Both?Ketones + Exercise: A Metabolic-Neuromotor Combination for Brain PlasticityTraumatic Brain Injury, Concussion, and the Brain’s Energy CrisisNeuroinflammation: The Common Thread Connecting Aging, Injury, and NeurodegenerationMetabolic Flexibility and the Aging BrainMuscle–Brain Cross-Talk: Why Training the Body Changes the BrainKetogenic Diet vs. Exogenous Ketones: They Are Not the Same InterventionBuilding the Optimal Environment for Neuroplasticity: Movement, Metabolism, Sleep, and Recovery🔗 Connect with Dr. Dominic D’Agostino:http://www.ketonutrition.org 🔗 Connect with Karl Sterling & NeuroMotor Training:🌐 http://www.neuromotortraining.com🌐 http://www.karlsterling.com🌐 http://www.neuromotor.com.mx (Español)📚 Karl’s books on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B08BHLL3XT/allbooks📧 [email protected]👍 If this conversation helped you, like, subscribe, and share it with someone who’s working to protect or rebuild their brain health.⚠️ This content is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Consult your healthcare provider before making changes to your diet, supplements, or exercise program.#Neuroplasticity #Ketones #BrainHealth #Neuroregeneration #Parkinsons #TBI #Concussion #Longevity #KetogenicDiet #ExogenousKetones #Neuroinflammation #KarlSterlingPodcast

What if most of how you age is up to you, and not your genes?In this episode, Karl Sterling sits down with Dr. Michael Greger, M.D., FACLM. He’s a physician, the founder of NutritionFacts.org and the New York Times bestselling author of How Not to Die, How Not to Diet and his latest book, How Not to Age. Dr. Greger has spent his career making nutrition research something anyone can use. In this conversation he breaks down what the science really says about living longer and staying healthier as we get older.In this episode:Genetics vs. lifestyle, and why “your genes load the gun, but your lifestyle pulls the trigger”The top five things to eat more of (and less of) to get the longest lifespan, starting with beansWhy the U.S. ranks around 40th in life expectancy even though it spends more on health care than any other countryThe pathways that drive cellular aging (AMPK, sirtuins, inflammation, autophagy) and how to target them with diet and lifestyleCoffee: is it good for longevity, and who should skip it?Two cheap, science-backed DIY skin treatments that cost pennies compared with store-bought creamsHow to spot anti-aging scams and tell whether a supplement or cream is actually legitWalking, zone 2 training and how many steps you really needWhy sleep, stress, sitting too much and loneliness all count toward how long you liveDr. Greger’s latest book is backed by more than 13,000 citations, and Karl calls it a study guide he’s read more than once. If you want answers on aging that are grounded in evidence and easy to act on, this episode is for you.📘 Get How Not to Age by Dr. Michael Greger🌐 NutritionFacts.org🧠 Learn more about Karl’s work: neuromotortraining.com | karlsterling.comYour health matters. Keep moving that body every single day.#Longevity #HealthyAging #HowNotToAge #MichaelGreger #PlantBased #Nutrition #KarlSterlingPodcast

From the archives: my 2021 conversation with Joel Taylor, one of the most versatile and in-demand drummers in the world.Over a career of more than 40 years, Joel has toured and recorded with an incredible range of artists, from rock and pop to jazz, fusion, Latin and world music. He’s played with Allan Holdsworth, Al Di Meola, Andy Summers (The Police), Stanley Clarke, Joe Sample, Frank Gambale, Yanni, Herb Alpert, Josh Groban, Michael Bublé, David Foster, Rick Springfield, Robby Krieger of The Doors, Randy Crawford, The Jazz Crusaders, Brian Bromberg, Mike Stern, Jeff Lorber and many more.You’ve almost certainly heard him even if you didn’t know it. Joel played on the Guitar Hero and Rock Band video games, the movies Gran Torino and Anchorman, Disney shows like Hannah Montana and Wizards of Waverly Place, and national jingles for Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Toyota, Sony and dozens of other brands. He also appeared in Yanni’s famous PBS specials filmed at the Taj Mahal and the Forbidden City.Joel is also a dedicated educator. He has two degrees from Berklee College of Music, has taught at the University of Redlands, Cal Poly Pomona and Musicians Institute, and has given drum clinics across the US, Europe, Russia, Japan, India and Brazil. He has been featured in Modern Drummer, Rhythm and Drumhead, among other drum magazines.In this interview we talk about his journey as a musician, life on the road and in the studio, and what it takes to have a career this long and this varied.🥁 Follow Joel Taylor:Website: www.Joel-Taylor.comFacebook: www.facebook.com/joeltaylordrumsYouTube:    / @therealjoeltaylordrums9274  Joel endorses DW Drums, Zildjian Cymbals, Vic Firth Drumsticks and Remo Drumheads.🎙️ More from Karl Sterling:www.karlsterling.com#JoelTaylor #Drummer #JazzDrumming #Fusion #AllanHoldsworth #AlDiMeola #Yanni #DrumInterview #Drums #Musicians

In Septmber of 2026, at the Sensory Intelligence Summit near Phoenix, a retired Marine opened the Sunday morning session and got the whole day started with real energy. I knew right away I wanted him on the podcast.My guest is Marc Rodriguez, a retired U.S. Marine Gunnery Sergeant with 21 years of service and the founder and CEO of Manifest Fitness Institute in Dallas, Texas. Marc is an educator, international speaker and leadership mentor who helps personal trainers become masters of their craft and warriors in their business, with his no-nonsense “FITFO” (figure it out) mindset.Marc tells the story of being passed over for promotion twice, even after a year of top evaluations and three major awards, and then being forced to retire with seven months’ notice. He talks openly about losing his identity and going through depression after the Marines, and how the gym, a new community and a clear mission helped him rebuild. We also get into why so many veterans undervalue their own experience, how Marine Corps planning frameworks carry over into business, and why most trainers are never taught how to run one.Manifest Fitness Institute is built on one idea: when you pour into your people, everyone wins. Marc explains why he teaches only in person, why he measures his own success by how well his trainers do, and why business owners who are afraid of AI will get left behind. I also share the story of a woman with Parkinson’s in Monterrey who rolled over in bed on her own for the first time in five years.In this episode:00:00 Introduction: meeting at the Sensory Intelligence Summit03:58 Retiring from the Marines and starting over in fitness06:06 How the Marine Corps shaped his leadership08:34 Why veterans undervalue their own experience10:34 Manifest Fitness Institute: education first15:09 Mentoring trainers on their personal and business finances18:59 Getting fired, and the drive home that started Manifest22:07 Stepping in as CEO, then stepping away23:50 Why great employees need great leaders28:24 Passed over for promotion twice36:24 Losing his identity and finding his tribe40:22 A 21-year-old trainer’s success story41:10 “My success comes from their success”44:37 Why he teaches only in person47:22 Monterrey: learning to roll over after 5 years50:57 Embracing AI instead of fearing it52:07 Hope as a turning point54:05 Marc’s takeaway: be a master and a warriorTakeaway: “Anything you put yourself into, be a master of it and be a warrior in it. Learn as much as you can, and don’t quit.”Connect with Marc Rodriguez:🌐 manifestfitnessinstitute.comConnect with Karl Sterling:🌐 neuromotortraining.com | karlsterling.com | neuromotor.com.mx📚 Books: amazon.com/stores/author/B08BHLL3XT/allbooksIf this episode inspired you, please subscribe, hit the bell and share it with someone who needs to hear it.#Leadership #Veterans #MarineCorps #PersonalTrainer #FitnessBusiness #Entrepreneurship #KarlSterlingPodcast

In April, 2018, on my very first trip to Mexico, I met Dr. Cynthia López at a symposium in Monterrey. Since then she has earned her PhD, contributed a chapter on Parkinson’s nutrition to my books, and kept doing research where nutrition, health and technology meet. It was great to reconnect with her.In this episode we talk about why people keep eating foods they know are bad for them, and how getting to the root cause, often stress and anxiety, matters more than willpower. Cynthia explains how junk food is engineered to keep you eating, why the microbiome may be the starting point for real change, and what that means for people with Parkinson’s who take levodopa. She also shares her view on coffee and probiotics, how AI is changing the way people find health information (for better and worse), and why lasting change takes patience.We also get into Coca-Cola’s surprising cultural role in Mexico, my own weakness for chips and salsa, and how a vitamin deficiency may have changed my taste for berries.In this episode:00:00 Introduction: reconnecting after 8 years03:24 Patient understanding vs. compliance10:53 Stress, long work hours and emotional eating17:36 Food engineering and why you “can’t eat just one”19:31 How technology and marketing amplify junk food24:18 AI and nutrition: validated information vs. misinformation32:15 Parkinson’s medication, protein timing and the microbiome35:36 Does your microbiome crave what you feed it?36:27 Coffee, acidity and probiotics39:33 Balance, not perfection41:41 Listening to your body: deficiencies and cravings43:56 The nutrition gap in medical training46:31 Cynthia’s takeaway messageTakeaway: Pay attention to what’s on your plate, and be kind and humble with your own body. Every choice adds up.Connect with Dr. Cynthia López Botello:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cynthiabotello.nutrick/Website: https://nutrick.com.mx/Connect with Karl Sterling:🌐 neuromotortraining.com | karlsterling.com | neuromotor.com.mx📚 Books: amazon.com/stores/author/B08BHLL3XT/allbooksThis podcast is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Talk with your doctor before changing your diet, supplements or medication timing.#Parkinsons #Nutrition #Microbiome #GutHealth #Neuroplasticity #KarlSterlingPodcast