1 00:00:07,716 --> 00:00:09,336 I read this script once and there was a line, 2 00:00:09,426 --> 00:00:12,796 and it said, "If I don't have my memories, did I ever exist?" 3 00:00:13,054 --> 00:00:14,564 And it's always stuck with me. 4 00:00:14,848 --> 00:00:16,978 (FILM REEL FAST FORWARDING) 5 00:00:17,058 --> 00:00:19,688 (CAMERA CLICKING) 6 00:00:19,769 --> 00:00:21,099 (PENSIVE MUSIC PLAYING) 7 00:00:21,229 --> 00:00:23,399 CHRIS: Our memories are supposed to last forever. 8 00:00:25,525 --> 00:00:28,145 They're what shapes us and makes us who we are. 9 00:00:29,362 --> 00:00:31,112 (GRUNTS, GROANS) 10 00:00:32,240 --> 00:00:33,950 Good shot, son. Good shot. 11 00:00:34,325 --> 00:00:35,575 CHRIS: The idea that I... 12 00:00:36,161 --> 00:00:39,041 won't be able to remember the life I've experienced 13 00:00:39,122 --> 00:00:40,622 or my wife... 14 00:00:41,624 --> 00:00:42,634 my kids. 15 00:00:43,168 --> 00:00:45,958 This is probably my biggest fear. 16 00:00:49,299 --> 00:00:52,339 And recently, I had some news that made me think 17 00:00:52,427 --> 00:00:54,217 a lot more about all of this. 18 00:00:57,515 --> 00:01:00,515 When I first started exploring how to live better for longer, 19 00:01:01,519 --> 00:01:03,479 I was sent for a whole list of tests... 20 00:01:04,272 --> 00:01:07,362 -PETER: How you doing? -...by longevity expert Dr. Peter Attia. 21 00:01:08,610 --> 00:01:10,150 -How you doing today? -Doing good. 22 00:01:10,779 --> 00:01:14,239 So, we did sort of the million-dollar workup on you. 23 00:01:14,407 --> 00:01:16,407 We've got every blood test one can get 24 00:01:16,576 --> 00:01:20,206 and I've looked at every gene in your body six ways to Sunday. 25 00:01:20,663 --> 00:01:23,713 And overall, your labs look fantastic. 26 00:01:24,000 --> 00:01:26,040 And I think looking at you from the outside, 27 00:01:26,169 --> 00:01:29,209 it's clear how much you take care of yourself, 28 00:01:29,798 --> 00:01:32,628 but we did find a couple of things that are a cause for concern. 29 00:01:33,426 --> 00:01:34,466 Right. 30 00:01:34,594 --> 00:01:36,974 Some of the genetic testing that we did 31 00:01:37,097 --> 00:01:41,387 looked at a gene for a protein called APOE. 32 00:01:41,851 --> 00:01:48,271 You have a very rare combination, which is you have two copies of APOE4, 33 00:01:48,733 --> 00:01:51,243 a set from your mom and a set from your dad. 34 00:01:52,028 --> 00:01:53,318 And what does that mean exactly? 35 00:01:53,404 --> 00:01:57,664 That means you have an increased risk of Alzheimer's disease. 36 00:01:58,660 --> 00:01:59,660 Mm-hmm. 37 00:02:01,621 --> 00:02:02,791 How much higher? 38 00:02:03,748 --> 00:02:06,578 Probably somewhere between eight and ten times higher 39 00:02:06,835 --> 00:02:09,455 than that of someone in the general population. 40 00:02:10,630 --> 00:02:11,760 Yeah, all right. Okay. 41 00:02:13,925 --> 00:02:15,215 You know, you're... 42 00:02:16,136 --> 00:02:18,756 I don't know, you're constantly thinking you're gonna live forever, 43 00:02:18,847 --> 00:02:20,927 especially as a young individual. 44 00:02:21,099 --> 00:02:22,929 And then to all of a sudden be told, 45 00:02:23,059 --> 00:02:25,559 "Well, this may be the thing that might take you out," 46 00:02:25,645 --> 00:02:29,105 was like, "Whoa." Kinda floored me for a minute. 47 00:02:32,944 --> 00:02:36,284 I know it's hard to imagine, but... 48 00:02:37,824 --> 00:02:41,914 it's my belief that if we take every step possible, 49 00:02:42,203 --> 00:02:45,963 we can reduce your risk to that of anyone else. 50 00:02:46,332 --> 00:02:47,462 Mm-hmm. Sure. 51 00:02:47,542 --> 00:02:50,462 In fact, I don't think you'll believe me when I say this, 52 00:02:50,587 --> 00:02:52,047 but I think you will in time. 53 00:02:52,547 --> 00:02:54,837 You having this gene is probably a blessing. 54 00:02:55,175 --> 00:02:57,255 Because of the motivation that it'll give me to... 55 00:02:57,385 --> 00:03:01,965 Yeah. This is going to motivate you to take steps today 56 00:03:02,056 --> 00:03:04,386 that most people your age would never think about 57 00:03:04,517 --> 00:03:07,347 -until they're in their 50s or 60s. -Sure. Sure. 58 00:03:10,398 --> 00:03:15,108 I've spent most of my life paying very detailed attention 59 00:03:15,236 --> 00:03:16,856 to my health and wellness 60 00:03:17,071 --> 00:03:21,871 and looking at how I can be, you know, stronger and healthier and so on. 61 00:03:22,785 --> 00:03:26,115 But I've never really focused on the health of my brain. 62 00:03:29,167 --> 00:03:31,127 This news changes things. 63 00:03:34,214 --> 00:03:38,934 (INTRIGUING MUSIC PLAYING) 64 00:03:39,219 --> 00:03:44,809 Here is a test for checking frontal lobe function and planning. 65 00:03:44,891 --> 00:03:47,061 So watch what I do first, and then you copy me. 66 00:03:47,185 --> 00:03:48,725 All right? Here we go. 67 00:03:49,145 --> 00:03:52,935 CHRIS: That's why I'm meeting renowned neurologist Dr. Sharon Sha. 68 00:03:55,860 --> 00:03:57,070 Wait, hang on. 69 00:03:57,362 --> 00:03:59,162 Was that... Just gotta see it again. 70 00:04:01,532 --> 00:04:02,832 (MUSIC FADES) 71 00:04:03,034 --> 00:04:06,044 I think, like everyone, I want to maintain my memory 72 00:04:06,120 --> 00:04:10,000 for as long as possible and not be, you know, in the corner 73 00:04:10,124 --> 00:04:12,464 unable to, sort of, operate, you know. 74 00:04:12,710 --> 00:04:15,170 Yeah. I mean obviously you're really healthy, 75 00:04:15,338 --> 00:04:18,878 but after the age of thirty is when our brain starts to degenerate. 76 00:04:19,008 --> 00:04:22,928 Our peak is in our youth, or in our twenties. 77 00:04:23,137 --> 00:04:26,887 So we have to enhance and maintain as much as possible. 78 00:04:27,183 --> 00:04:29,773 You can't say, "Okay, at 60, I'm now going to focus on my brain." 79 00:04:29,852 --> 00:04:31,102 Yeah. Yeah. 80 00:04:31,437 --> 00:04:33,227 Because Alzheimer's disease and other types of things 81 00:04:33,356 --> 00:04:36,986 develop 15 to 20 years before we even have memory symptoms. 82 00:04:37,485 --> 00:04:39,395 I eat pretty well. I exercise a lot. 83 00:04:39,862 --> 00:04:44,332 What else can I do that is going to help improve my brain health? 84 00:04:44,534 --> 00:04:47,004 Just like you have to take time to work out your body... 85 00:04:47,120 --> 00:04:48,120 Yeah. 86 00:04:48,204 --> 00:04:49,964 ...you've gotta take time to work out your brain. 87 00:04:50,081 --> 00:04:54,461 Novel challenges can stimulate neuronal connections 88 00:04:54,669 --> 00:04:57,459 to spread what we call "neural plasticity," 89 00:04:57,630 --> 00:05:00,550 and that can really enhance cognitive function. 90 00:05:01,009 --> 00:05:03,339 So let's give you something novel. 91 00:05:03,469 --> 00:05:06,389 Let's give you something where you can really challenge your brain. 92 00:05:08,266 --> 00:05:13,646 (THRILLING MUSIC PLAYING) 93 00:05:15,440 --> 00:05:17,610 SHARON: In order to help protect his memories, 94 00:05:17,900 --> 00:05:20,320 I want Chris to take a break from his normal life... 95 00:05:22,113 --> 00:05:23,913 unplug from technology, 96 00:05:25,283 --> 00:05:27,793 and go off the grid in the wilderness. 97 00:05:31,289 --> 00:05:32,789 Pretty spectacular, hey? 98 00:05:33,958 --> 00:05:36,748 SHARON: Right there, take a mental picture. 99 00:05:40,423 --> 00:05:44,093 Without anything to distract him, no phone, no GPS, 100 00:05:44,344 --> 00:05:47,724 Chris is going to have to immerse himself in his surroundings... 101 00:05:49,766 --> 00:05:51,926 and navigate his way through the outback 102 00:05:52,727 --> 00:05:54,557 using only his brain. 103 00:05:59,192 --> 00:06:01,862 Man, it's so easy to get lost out here. 104 00:06:02,236 --> 00:06:04,196 Well, I'm glad you're here because I have no clue. 105 00:06:04,781 --> 00:06:05,821 I'm already lost. 106 00:06:08,868 --> 00:06:12,998 SHARON: And because social contact is so important for cognitive function, 107 00:06:13,539 --> 00:06:16,629 his friend, the artist Otis Hope Carey, is going with him. 108 00:06:18,878 --> 00:06:20,628 OTIS: That looks like a really good campsite 109 00:06:20,755 --> 00:06:22,415 at the bottom of that waterfall back there. 110 00:06:22,673 --> 00:06:24,133 SHARON: So it's a good point to remember. 111 00:06:28,638 --> 00:06:30,558 OTIS: That's where we're gonna end our trek. 112 00:06:30,723 --> 00:06:32,313 -Right there? -OTIS: Yeah. 113 00:06:32,558 --> 00:06:34,478 CHRIS: How are we gonna get up there? 114 00:06:35,478 --> 00:06:38,228 SHARON: Think of this challenge as a boot camp for the brain, 115 00:06:38,356 --> 00:06:40,016 a way for Chris to kickstart 116 00:06:40,108 --> 00:06:42,358 a lifelong routine to keep his brain healthy. 117 00:06:42,652 --> 00:06:44,652 (MUSIC CONTINUES) 118 00:06:48,282 --> 00:06:52,332 Whoo! (CHUCKLES) 119 00:07:14,892 --> 00:07:15,982 (MUSIC ENDS) 120 00:07:20,523 --> 00:07:22,613 (INTRIGUING MUSIC PLAYING) 121 00:07:22,859 --> 00:07:25,609 (BIRDS SCREECHING) 122 00:07:37,707 --> 00:07:40,837 (RHYTHMIC CLAPPING) 123 00:07:41,961 --> 00:07:45,051 (ELDER CHANTING IN INDIGENOUS LANGUAGE) 124 00:07:45,339 --> 00:07:49,719 (IN ENGLISH) I welcome you. I welcome you to Dunghutti country, Anaiwan country, 125 00:07:49,802 --> 00:07:51,142 and Gumbaynggirr country. 126 00:07:51,762 --> 00:07:54,222 It's a shared country between the three tribes. 127 00:07:54,515 --> 00:07:57,635 -(ELDER CONTINUES CHANTING) -(CLAPPING CONTINUES) 128 00:08:02,648 --> 00:08:05,358 CHRIS: This is my buddy Otis's ancestral homeland. 129 00:08:06,986 --> 00:08:10,196 For years, we've dreamed about going on a trip to explore it. 130 00:08:11,991 --> 00:08:14,911 So when Sharon suggested an adventure in the wilderness, 131 00:08:15,745 --> 00:08:17,655 I knew this would be the perfect location. 132 00:08:17,997 --> 00:08:20,997 (CLAPSTICKS BEATING RHYTHMICALLY) 133 00:08:21,250 --> 00:08:24,460 CHRIS: What makes this place particularly appropriate for our journey 134 00:08:25,171 --> 00:08:29,841 is that in this part of the world, landscape and memory are intertwined. 135 00:08:31,093 --> 00:08:35,223 ELDER: Body, mind, and spirit. 136 00:08:40,186 --> 00:08:41,476 My name's Otis Hope Carey. 137 00:08:41,562 --> 00:08:44,982 I'm from the Gumbaynggirr nation and also the Bundjalung nation. 138 00:08:48,736 --> 00:08:52,736 Indigenous people have been in Australia for sixty-thousand-plus years, 139 00:08:52,823 --> 00:08:56,743 so we've got a very long connection to Mother Earth. 140 00:09:01,207 --> 00:09:05,707 In First Nations culture, we believe there's memory in the rocks, 141 00:09:05,836 --> 00:09:09,586 in the water, in the wind, in the sky. 142 00:09:11,717 --> 00:09:17,307 So if we sit and listen, we can hear our ancestors talking to us. 143 00:09:17,682 --> 00:09:21,482 (ELDERS CHANTING AND SINGING IN INDIGENOUS LANGUAGE) 144 00:09:21,852 --> 00:09:23,902 (IN ENGLISH) We hope that on your journey, 145 00:09:24,188 --> 00:09:27,358 you will listen to our country speak to you. 146 00:09:27,775 --> 00:09:30,775 Hear the sounds of this world with your own ears, 147 00:09:30,987 --> 00:09:32,317 not the ears of others. 148 00:09:33,656 --> 00:09:36,116 See this world with your own eyes, 149 00:09:37,535 --> 00:09:39,195 and not eyes of others. 150 00:09:40,746 --> 00:09:44,036 CHRIS: As the elders are giving us permission to walk across the land, 151 00:09:44,125 --> 00:09:45,455 one of them says, 152 00:09:45,710 --> 00:09:47,000 "Listen with your own ears... 153 00:09:50,423 --> 00:09:52,053 "and watch with your own eyes. 154 00:09:53,593 --> 00:09:55,303 "Stay true to who you are." 155 00:09:57,680 --> 00:10:02,890 And it really, really struck a chord within me and spoke to something... 156 00:10:02,977 --> 00:10:05,687 (INHALES DEEPLY) ...on a very deep level. It's quite beautiful. 157 00:10:05,980 --> 00:10:07,940 (RESOLUTE MUSIC PLAYING) 158 00:10:08,316 --> 00:10:09,726 SHARON: Over the next two days, 159 00:10:09,817 --> 00:10:11,817 Chris and Otis are going to have to navigate 160 00:10:11,944 --> 00:10:14,244 through thousands of acres of wilderness. 161 00:10:15,573 --> 00:10:18,453 Okay. So, this is where we're starting, 162 00:10:19,744 --> 00:10:21,004 and then we head out this way, right? 163 00:10:22,079 --> 00:10:24,749 SHARON: But the mental challenge has already begun, 164 00:10:25,249 --> 00:10:28,089 plotting their route and committing it to memory. 165 00:10:28,753 --> 00:10:30,763 CHRIS: And then we hit up on this ridgeline, right? 166 00:10:31,297 --> 00:10:32,377 OTIS: Yep. 167 00:10:33,758 --> 00:10:37,968 SHARON: First, they'll head north over a mix of open country and forest. 168 00:10:39,096 --> 00:10:41,466 From the top of the waterfall, we come up here and we hit this creek, 169 00:10:41,557 --> 00:10:43,227 and then which way are we going from here? 170 00:10:44,185 --> 00:10:46,345 We change direction when we get to this little river. 171 00:10:46,479 --> 00:10:48,059 We've got to then go downstream. 172 00:10:48,314 --> 00:10:49,404 (MUSIC CONTINUES) 173 00:10:49,565 --> 00:10:50,855 SHARON: They've got to find a river 174 00:10:51,525 --> 00:10:53,565 featuring a series of waterfalls, 175 00:10:54,111 --> 00:10:55,661 which will lead them to a place 176 00:10:55,738 --> 00:10:57,908 that might make a good campsite for the night. 177 00:10:58,658 --> 00:11:03,658 So, our day two trek, from our camp... we're going to head due north. 178 00:11:03,829 --> 00:11:06,039 -You got a photo there, yeah? -Is there a track through there, 179 00:11:06,123 --> 00:11:07,333 -or we're gonna have to... -OTIS: No. 180 00:11:07,416 --> 00:11:08,786 We're gonna make our own tracks. 181 00:11:09,835 --> 00:11:13,505 SHARON: Finally, they'll have a steep climb towards their destination, 182 00:11:14,423 --> 00:11:15,803 Wrights Lookout. 183 00:11:17,051 --> 00:11:19,601 Okay, so, the route. So forest, ridgeline, waterfall, 184 00:11:19,720 --> 00:11:21,470 forest, ridgeline, waterfall. 185 00:11:21,597 --> 00:11:24,927 After the waterfall, climb up to open country, um... 186 00:11:27,269 --> 00:11:29,149 and I'm going to get us lost, for sure. 187 00:11:31,107 --> 00:11:32,607 Good. Well, I'm glad you're there. 188 00:11:33,901 --> 00:11:35,321 (ALL CHUCKLING) 189 00:11:35,444 --> 00:11:39,454 But before Chris and Otis set off, there's just one more thing. 190 00:11:40,366 --> 00:11:41,616 Hand me your phones. 191 00:11:41,909 --> 00:11:43,539 (GROANS) All right, there you go. 192 00:11:44,620 --> 00:11:47,500 Thank you. Thank you. Is that all? 193 00:11:51,168 --> 00:11:53,208 -CHRIS: That's it. That's all. -That's all of them. 194 00:11:53,587 --> 00:11:56,047 There's one more. This one. 195 00:11:58,092 --> 00:11:59,552 So, who's going to find this harder? 196 00:11:59,969 --> 00:12:00,969 Probably Otis. 197 00:12:02,388 --> 00:12:04,138 He uses his phone a lot, so... 198 00:12:05,391 --> 00:12:07,181 he's gonna have a real tough time, aren't you, mate? 199 00:12:07,351 --> 00:12:08,521 Good luck. 200 00:12:08,894 --> 00:12:12,064 (INTRIGUING MUSIC PLAYING) 201 00:12:20,948 --> 00:12:21,948 (MUSIC ENDS) 202 00:12:24,201 --> 00:12:27,161 (THUNDER RUMBLING) 203 00:12:27,288 --> 00:12:28,658 OTIS: Rain's coming. 204 00:12:31,208 --> 00:12:33,628 (DREAMY MUSIC PLAYING) 205 00:12:35,546 --> 00:12:37,416 CHRIS: Do you think we're heading in the right direction? 206 00:12:39,049 --> 00:12:41,679 Just keep walking. It's the best thing to do when you're lost, right? 207 00:12:41,886 --> 00:12:42,966 (OTIS CHUCKLING) 208 00:12:53,105 --> 00:12:56,435 CHRIS: A little more challenging now the sun's completely disappeared. 209 00:12:58,027 --> 00:13:01,157 OTIS: Well, if we look around, where's the brightest part of the sky? 210 00:13:01,322 --> 00:13:02,452 It's there. 211 00:13:02,865 --> 00:13:06,235 It's either a sun or it's a spaceship. Tipping towards the sun. 212 00:13:07,203 --> 00:13:09,713 So north, west. We want to set ahead this way. 213 00:13:10,247 --> 00:13:11,247 OTIS: Yeah, I reckon. 214 00:13:12,208 --> 00:13:13,248 CHRIS: Let's do it, mate. 215 00:13:13,375 --> 00:13:15,995 (ADVENTUROUS MUSIC PLAYING) 216 00:13:17,546 --> 00:13:20,926 SHARON: There's a very specific reason why I've set Chris and Otis loose 217 00:13:21,008 --> 00:13:24,048 in the wilderness without anything to help them navigate. 218 00:13:25,095 --> 00:13:26,305 CHRIS: So, what do you reckon? 219 00:13:26,388 --> 00:13:29,018 Is the gully over here now? Looks like it. 220 00:13:29,600 --> 00:13:30,850 OTIS: Yeah, this way I reckon. 221 00:13:34,897 --> 00:13:37,817 SHARON: The process of figuring out the right direction to go in 222 00:13:37,942 --> 00:13:41,532 is one of the most complex tasks our brains can perform. 223 00:13:42,321 --> 00:13:47,491 CHRIS: Up the ridgeline, follow the water, stream, waterfall, turn left. 224 00:13:47,618 --> 00:13:48,698 Yeah, this is good. 225 00:13:48,828 --> 00:13:52,288 And it relies on a region of the brain that's critical to how we process 226 00:13:52,414 --> 00:13:53,504 the world around us. 227 00:13:53,666 --> 00:13:57,086 It's called the hippocampus, the brain's memory center. 228 00:13:58,546 --> 00:14:02,796 CHRIS: The hippocampus is a small structure shaped like a seahorse, 229 00:14:04,218 --> 00:14:08,008 located in both the left and the right sides of the brain. 230 00:14:08,806 --> 00:14:12,346 Think of it as a map of where all our memories are stored 231 00:14:12,476 --> 00:14:13,726 and how to access them. 232 00:14:15,563 --> 00:14:20,033 As we age, the hippocampus shrinks, and it's one of the first areas 233 00:14:20,150 --> 00:14:22,490 targeted by diseases like Alzheimer's. 234 00:14:24,613 --> 00:14:27,583 But when we stimulate it with activities like navigation, 235 00:14:27,783 --> 00:14:32,003 it becomes bigger and healthier, as new connections are forged 236 00:14:32,079 --> 00:14:33,959 and more brain cells added. 237 00:14:34,999 --> 00:14:38,169 And scientists think the stronger our hippocampus, 238 00:14:38,419 --> 00:14:42,459 the better our chances of resisting the cognitive losses that come with age. 239 00:14:44,508 --> 00:14:46,218 (MUSIC ENDS) 240 00:14:47,219 --> 00:14:49,759 SHARON: Ditching the GPS and navigating on his own 241 00:14:49,847 --> 00:14:53,097 is something Chris can easily work into his daily routine. 242 00:14:53,517 --> 00:14:56,057 It's a simple and effective way to keep his brain active, 243 00:14:56,729 --> 00:14:59,729 which should help it stay strong and resilient. 244 00:15:00,733 --> 00:15:02,783 CHRIS: Okay, so it's probably close to noon. 245 00:15:03,027 --> 00:15:04,187 OTIS: Yeah, I reckon. 246 00:15:04,945 --> 00:15:07,695 CHRIS: North, east, south, west. 247 00:15:08,198 --> 00:15:10,528 So that's north, so we want to set ahead this way. 248 00:15:14,163 --> 00:15:15,253 OTIS: There's the river. 249 00:15:16,081 --> 00:15:17,171 CHRIS: Oh, yeah. 250 00:15:17,625 --> 00:15:20,495 OTIS: I feel like we're getting closer to where we need to be. 251 00:15:23,714 --> 00:15:24,724 Ooh! 252 00:15:25,507 --> 00:15:27,507 Jeez. Quicksand. 253 00:15:27,968 --> 00:15:29,678 CHRIS: It's like that scene in NeverEnding Story, 254 00:15:29,929 --> 00:15:31,469 Swamps of Sadness. 255 00:15:31,555 --> 00:15:32,925 Remember The NeverEnding Story? 256 00:15:33,265 --> 00:15:35,385 -OTIS: No. -The NeverEnding Story. Never saw it? 257 00:15:35,559 --> 00:15:37,439 -No, I don't think so. -CHRIS: (SIGHS) Otis. 258 00:15:37,519 --> 00:15:39,059 OTIS: I didn't get to watch much TV growing up. 259 00:15:39,396 --> 00:15:43,526 Remember those old TVs where you had to, like, move the antenna around? 260 00:15:44,026 --> 00:15:45,396 -Yeah. -We had one of them. 261 00:15:45,486 --> 00:15:47,816 CHRIS: Yeah, as you wouldn't... It's not just about moving the antenna, 262 00:15:47,905 --> 00:15:50,735 it was about standing in the right part of the room. 263 00:15:50,950 --> 00:15:52,830 -(OTIS CHUCKLES) -Yeah, and also... 264 00:15:53,577 --> 00:15:55,327 Yeah. "Don't sit there, Dad. 265 00:15:55,454 --> 00:15:57,084 -"You'll make the TV go fuzzy." -Yeah. 266 00:15:57,539 --> 00:15:58,669 (CHUCKLES) 267 00:15:59,583 --> 00:16:01,213 (CHRIS EXHALING) 268 00:16:05,047 --> 00:16:07,417 (DREAMY MUSIC PLAYING) 269 00:16:07,675 --> 00:16:10,295 There's something very nostalgic for me about being in nature... 270 00:16:13,639 --> 00:16:17,139 so far from cities and towns and civilization. 271 00:16:19,228 --> 00:16:21,938 And when I think about some of my earliest memories, 272 00:16:22,356 --> 00:16:25,316 the ones that have shaped who I am, those are the moments 273 00:16:25,401 --> 00:16:26,821 I want to keep hold of forever. 274 00:16:29,279 --> 00:16:30,279 (MUSIC FADES) 275 00:16:30,406 --> 00:16:34,616 I grew up in the Northern Territory, right in the middle of nowhere, 276 00:16:34,702 --> 00:16:36,792 four and a half hours from the nearest town, 277 00:16:37,121 --> 00:16:39,711 and I didn't own a pair of shoes because it was too hot. 278 00:16:39,790 --> 00:16:45,340 And we spent our entire time outside, basically. 279 00:16:45,671 --> 00:16:49,381 (WIND HOWLING FAINTLY) 280 00:16:51,385 --> 00:16:52,715 My earliest memory... 281 00:16:54,388 --> 00:16:56,348 I was very young. I was probably four. 282 00:16:56,473 --> 00:16:58,483 (SOFT MUSIC PLAYING) 283 00:16:58,809 --> 00:17:00,479 CHRIS: I remember, uh, 284 00:17:00,853 --> 00:17:05,193 my dad going to pick someone up from the airport, 285 00:17:05,315 --> 00:17:09,145 which was a big strip of dirt, basically, in the middle of the outback. 286 00:17:13,532 --> 00:17:16,332 And I walked out looking for him, and then just kept on walking. 287 00:17:20,956 --> 00:17:23,916 I remember the dry, crackling heat. 288 00:17:26,628 --> 00:17:29,338 The red dust that just gets into everything, 289 00:17:30,299 --> 00:17:32,299 your skin, your hair, your clothes. 290 00:17:34,845 --> 00:17:38,135 And the feeling of my feet, just feeling like they're on fire. 291 00:17:41,810 --> 00:17:45,650 I was in tears. I didn't know where my dad was. 292 00:17:47,691 --> 00:17:50,191 But all of a sudden, he came over the hill. 293 00:17:52,946 --> 00:17:57,486 He was in an obvious state of panic, wondering what I was doing 294 00:17:58,327 --> 00:18:00,617 in the middle of the outback, wandering around on my own. 295 00:18:03,791 --> 00:18:06,041 At the time I didn't really understand what was going on 296 00:18:06,126 --> 00:18:08,336 or what his concern was. 297 00:18:10,672 --> 00:18:17,182 But I remember the warmth and the comfort of feeling safe and secure in his arms. 298 00:18:23,811 --> 00:18:25,691 -(MUSIC FADES) -(BIRDS CHIRPING) 299 00:18:25,854 --> 00:18:28,194 -CHRIS: Straight up? -OTIS: Yeah. 300 00:18:29,483 --> 00:18:31,573 CHRIS: This is like the StairMaster 2000. 301 00:18:36,323 --> 00:18:38,413 (WATER RUSHING) 302 00:18:42,621 --> 00:18:44,211 -OTIS: You thirsty? -CHRIS: Yeah. 303 00:18:44,581 --> 00:18:46,171 -OTIS: I'll get a drink with you. -CHRIS: Yeah. 304 00:18:56,135 --> 00:19:02,265 (SERENE MUSIC PLAYING) 305 00:19:19,158 --> 00:19:20,198 CHRIS: So beautiful. 306 00:19:22,578 --> 00:19:24,538 You normally would be taking a photo, and... 307 00:19:25,998 --> 00:19:27,458 Not listening and... 308 00:19:28,417 --> 00:19:29,747 looking through a phone camera. 309 00:19:30,085 --> 00:19:31,085 Yeah. 310 00:19:33,338 --> 00:19:36,548 It's amazing being here and not distracted. 311 00:19:37,176 --> 00:19:39,506 Just how all your senses are heightened. 312 00:19:40,095 --> 00:19:43,135 All the smells, everything you touch, the sound. 313 00:19:44,433 --> 00:19:46,693 (WATER BURBLING) 314 00:19:49,563 --> 00:19:52,363 SHARON: It's no surprise that Chris is feeling more alert. 315 00:19:54,484 --> 00:19:56,284 Our brains evolved in nature, 316 00:19:59,114 --> 00:20:00,994 and there are studies that show 317 00:20:01,366 --> 00:20:04,156 why we find the natural world so refreshing. 318 00:20:05,954 --> 00:20:08,964 (INTRIGUING MUSIC PLAYING) 319 00:20:09,249 --> 00:20:11,879 CHRIS: Research suggests that when we're in urban settings, 320 00:20:13,629 --> 00:20:16,549 -all the man-made visual patterns... -(ELECTRONIC BEEPING AND BUZZING) 321 00:20:16,632 --> 00:20:18,972 ...intrusive noises, and distractions 322 00:20:19,218 --> 00:20:22,258 take a lot of mental energy for key parts of the brain to process. 323 00:20:22,429 --> 00:20:24,509 (BEEPING) 324 00:20:25,390 --> 00:20:26,810 CHRIS: Which means that memory, 325 00:20:26,975 --> 00:20:31,305 problem-solving, and concentration all take a hit. 326 00:20:32,522 --> 00:20:33,982 (HOLLOW RINGING) 327 00:20:36,568 --> 00:20:39,528 CHRIS: But scientists think that our brains are attuned to find 328 00:20:39,696 --> 00:20:42,906 the sights and sounds of nature much easier to process. 329 00:20:44,201 --> 00:20:45,991 Instead of being overloaded, 330 00:20:46,662 --> 00:20:49,672 our cognitive abilities are restored to full strength. 331 00:20:50,457 --> 00:20:52,287 (BRIGHT JINGLE PLAYS) 332 00:20:55,170 --> 00:20:56,380 SHARON: And that's not all. 333 00:20:56,922 --> 00:20:59,722 Spending time in nature also lowers stress, 334 00:21:00,092 --> 00:21:02,892 which is good for our Alzheimer's risk and our longevity. 335 00:21:03,595 --> 00:21:06,675 In fact, just a twenty-minute stroll in the park 336 00:21:06,890 --> 00:21:08,390 without checking your cell phone 337 00:21:08,517 --> 00:21:10,847 has been shown to significantly reduce levels 338 00:21:10,978 --> 00:21:12,898 of the stress hormone cortisol. 339 00:21:15,857 --> 00:21:17,897 -OTIS: Sure you don't want to lead? -CHRIS: I'll lead. Come on. 340 00:21:18,026 --> 00:21:21,146 OTIS: How about I go? Because if I slip, it's not that big a deal. 341 00:21:21,405 --> 00:21:24,195 CHRIS: Yes, it is. I'll have to carry you. It'll be a massive deal. 342 00:21:24,324 --> 00:21:26,244 OTIS: That's what I mean, you're stronger than me. 343 00:21:26,326 --> 00:21:27,406 (CHRIS CHUCKLING) 344 00:21:28,328 --> 00:21:30,408 (GRUNTS WITH EFFORT) 345 00:21:31,331 --> 00:21:34,671 (ADVENTUROUS MUSIC PLAYING) 346 00:21:34,835 --> 00:21:36,375 CHRIS: Otis is a great guy. 347 00:21:40,048 --> 00:21:43,388 Got a great sense of humor. He's a very kind individual. 348 00:21:43,885 --> 00:21:45,005 OTIS: Ow! 349 00:21:46,054 --> 00:21:47,644 -CHRIS: Otis! -(OTIS CHUCKLING) 350 00:21:47,806 --> 00:21:50,426 -Help me. -OTIS: You fell graciously, though. 351 00:21:50,726 --> 00:21:51,806 Must say. 352 00:21:52,185 --> 00:21:53,225 (CHRIS GROANING) 353 00:21:55,022 --> 00:21:58,442 And also, he's a fantastic artist. 354 00:21:59,109 --> 00:22:02,449 (DREAMY MUSIC PLAYING) 355 00:22:02,696 --> 00:22:05,736 CHRIS: All your artwork is bird's-eye view, right? 356 00:22:06,783 --> 00:22:08,123 OTIS: Yeah, lot of it. Yeah. 357 00:22:09,036 --> 00:22:11,746 It's kind of topographical, I guess you could say. 358 00:22:15,125 --> 00:22:17,955 I use a lot of, like, traditional symbols, but I... 359 00:22:18,879 --> 00:22:22,589 sort of soften them, make them more expressive. 360 00:22:24,676 --> 00:22:28,346 Also remembering where they're from, their true meaning. 361 00:22:31,516 --> 00:22:36,356 I take old traditional art, thousands and thousands of years old, 362 00:22:37,272 --> 00:22:39,192 and modernize it. 363 00:22:39,441 --> 00:22:43,571 I try and just give a new spin on the old way. 364 00:22:46,114 --> 00:22:48,034 Every line, every dot in my art... 365 00:22:49,618 --> 00:22:52,948 just like every rock, every river, every tree, 366 00:22:53,580 --> 00:22:54,920 is a memory. 367 00:22:59,044 --> 00:23:01,134 I think Chris growing up where he grew up, 368 00:23:01,254 --> 00:23:06,594 there's a massive indigenous community, so he understands my paintings. 369 00:23:07,844 --> 00:23:13,274 And I think that's really a big reason why we probably get along so well. 370 00:23:15,185 --> 00:23:16,435 CHRIS: We should've brought a canoe. 371 00:23:17,729 --> 00:23:19,109 OTIS: A bodyboard would've been better. 372 00:23:19,815 --> 00:23:21,065 (CHRIS LAUGHING) 373 00:23:24,736 --> 00:23:27,696 SHARON: Spending time with other people is good for our brains. 374 00:23:28,865 --> 00:23:32,485 We're social animals, and interacting with others can encourage us 375 00:23:32,619 --> 00:23:36,749 to learn new things, spark new thoughts, or ways of seeing the world. 376 00:23:40,252 --> 00:23:44,052 But when we're isolated, our risk of developing dementia 377 00:23:44,172 --> 00:23:47,432 is about fifty percent higher. 378 00:23:48,885 --> 00:23:52,465 So of all the things we know that can protect our longevity, 379 00:23:53,056 --> 00:23:56,226 the people around us may be the most important. 380 00:23:58,520 --> 00:24:00,230 CHRIS: Okay, so if we keep heading this way, 381 00:24:00,397 --> 00:24:02,017 we should get to that campsite. Yeah? 382 00:24:02,691 --> 00:24:05,991 OTIS: Yeah. Campsite's at the bottom of the waterfall. 383 00:24:14,286 --> 00:24:15,786 CHRIS: So we're at the top of the waterfall, 384 00:24:17,456 --> 00:24:20,666 and Otis is pointing out where we could camp. 385 00:24:26,256 --> 00:24:29,216 And I can't see any way down. Neither can he. 386 00:24:29,759 --> 00:24:31,509 So there's one solution. 387 00:24:37,809 --> 00:24:41,689 (ENERGETIC MUSIC PLAYING) 388 00:24:51,615 --> 00:24:52,615 (CHRIS WHOOPS) 389 00:24:55,702 --> 00:24:57,122 (MUSIC FADES) 390 00:24:57,329 --> 00:24:58,709 CHRIS: Whoo! 391 00:24:59,539 --> 00:25:01,329 (CHUCKLING) Oh, boy! 392 00:25:09,966 --> 00:25:11,716 (GRUNTS) Now you feel alive! 393 00:25:14,888 --> 00:25:17,058 Well, that has definitely cleared my head. 394 00:25:17,641 --> 00:25:19,231 And it makes me think, 395 00:25:19,643 --> 00:25:22,103 "I hope I'll still be dive-bombing when I'm an old guy." 396 00:25:24,773 --> 00:25:27,193 Since my test results, I've been thinking a lot 397 00:25:27,275 --> 00:25:30,695 about growing older and what my life might look like then. 398 00:25:33,698 --> 00:25:36,278 Perhaps the news I have a higher risk of Alzheimer's 399 00:25:36,535 --> 00:25:38,695 shouldn't have come as a total surprise. 400 00:25:39,871 --> 00:25:42,121 (PENSIVE MUSIC PLAYING) 401 00:25:42,290 --> 00:25:45,670 CHRIS: My grandfather, yeah, he has Alzheimer's. 402 00:25:47,087 --> 00:25:48,047 And... 403 00:25:48,922 --> 00:25:53,762 His... Yeah. His memory's deteriorating, and has been for the last couple of years. 404 00:25:57,639 --> 00:26:01,849 It's tricky because when he is lucid, then he gets very worried 405 00:26:02,018 --> 00:26:04,648 because he realizes who people are and why... where is he? 406 00:26:04,771 --> 00:26:07,901 You know, so it's... daunting and scary. 407 00:26:08,733 --> 00:26:10,573 (SAW GRINDING) 408 00:26:10,652 --> 00:26:13,742 (MUSIC TURNS TENDER) 409 00:26:14,030 --> 00:26:20,410 My most vivid memories of him were sitting in the garage with him. 410 00:26:25,542 --> 00:26:28,842 And him helping us build things out of timber. 411 00:26:31,506 --> 00:26:32,506 He'd build us swords, 412 00:26:34,593 --> 00:26:38,513 little fake, sort of, you know, pistols and rifles and things. 413 00:26:42,642 --> 00:26:47,112 And I remember him being really patient as we're kind of hammering and banging, 414 00:26:47,188 --> 00:26:48,518 cutting things and breaking things. 415 00:26:52,402 --> 00:26:56,242 I have such beautiful memories, which I'm so, so thankful for... 416 00:26:57,407 --> 00:27:02,157 of just this nurturing, kind individual. 417 00:27:05,790 --> 00:27:06,830 (MUSIC FADES) 418 00:27:07,042 --> 00:27:09,172 He's a beautiful man. 419 00:27:12,714 --> 00:27:16,094 (FIRE CRACKLING) 420 00:27:17,927 --> 00:27:20,807 So, your grandfather... he has Alzheimer's? 421 00:27:21,056 --> 00:27:25,846 Yeah. He either doesn't remember who we are, you know, 422 00:27:26,019 --> 00:27:29,689 his grandkids, but also even his own children, you know. 423 00:27:29,939 --> 00:27:32,529 -OTIS: Mm-hmm. -Forgets. And, uh... 424 00:27:33,026 --> 00:27:34,486 Yeah. it's heartbreaking. 425 00:27:35,570 --> 00:27:40,780 Does that worry you at all that you... you might end up in his situation? 426 00:27:42,410 --> 00:27:45,870 Like most things that scare you, they either shut you down 427 00:27:45,955 --> 00:27:49,785 or they motivate you to overcome them or do whatever you can to, 428 00:27:50,251 --> 00:27:54,841 you know, to beat those odds, I guess. That's what this is about, isn't it? 429 00:27:55,006 --> 00:27:58,386 About... doing as many preventative things 430 00:27:58,843 --> 00:28:00,103 to ensure brain health. 431 00:28:00,303 --> 00:28:03,643 There's a positive energy to it all, as opposed to like, 432 00:28:03,765 --> 00:28:06,515 "How many emails I gotta reply to?" Or, you know, 433 00:28:06,601 --> 00:28:08,311 "What review are they gonna give me on my film, 434 00:28:08,395 --> 00:28:09,975 "and am I ever going to work again?" 435 00:28:10,313 --> 00:28:13,193 (BOTH CHUCKLE) 436 00:28:20,031 --> 00:28:21,911 CHRIS: Today's hike has taken it out of us, 437 00:28:22,033 --> 00:28:23,583 so we decide to call it a night. 438 00:28:24,703 --> 00:28:26,373 But no matter how tired I am, 439 00:28:26,913 --> 00:28:28,833 winding down is often a struggle. 440 00:28:29,874 --> 00:28:32,134 And sleep was one of the main things 441 00:28:32,252 --> 00:28:35,212 Dr. Peter Attia focused on when I had my consultation. 442 00:28:40,343 --> 00:28:42,553 PETER: So Chris, tell me about your sleep. 443 00:28:42,804 --> 00:28:44,854 Would you consider yourself a good sleeper? A... 444 00:28:45,223 --> 00:28:48,233 No, not a very good sleeper. I wake up a lot through the night. 445 00:28:48,393 --> 00:28:51,483 I remember even from a very young age. But yeah, my mum talks about it now. 446 00:28:51,646 --> 00:28:55,316 There's something about the nighttime and sleeping would amplify 447 00:28:55,567 --> 00:28:58,987 any sort of concerns, or sort of if I felt guilty about something, 448 00:28:59,112 --> 00:29:01,572 I felt like I did something wrong, or something I was concerned about. 449 00:29:01,990 --> 00:29:03,320 And that still, you know, 450 00:29:04,159 --> 00:29:05,159 is definitely there. 451 00:29:06,119 --> 00:29:09,209 So much of what you describe as your limitations in sleep 452 00:29:09,330 --> 00:29:12,580 seem to stem from what we call "the monkey mind," which we all have. 453 00:29:12,751 --> 00:29:15,671 The sort of neuroses, the rumination of thought. 454 00:29:15,962 --> 00:29:19,472 -Mm-hmm. -Sleep is not a passive activity. 455 00:29:19,758 --> 00:29:22,298 It's not about being unconscious. 456 00:29:22,802 --> 00:29:27,102 It's actually an active time during which the brain is healing. 457 00:29:27,432 --> 00:29:30,352 And in your case, Chris, because of your increased risk, 458 00:29:30,477 --> 00:29:32,437 we really wanna take sleep seriously. 459 00:29:32,729 --> 00:29:35,899 We know that even a single night of missed sleep 460 00:29:36,232 --> 00:29:39,862 leads to some of the accumulations of toxins in the brain 461 00:29:40,361 --> 00:29:42,491 that predispose people to Alzheimer's disease. 462 00:29:42,614 --> 00:29:45,874 So sleep has remarkable restorative powers in the short run, 463 00:29:45,992 --> 00:29:49,582 but it also carries with it a lot of protection against chronic disease. 464 00:29:51,664 --> 00:29:53,334 (INTRIGUING MUSIC PLAYING) 465 00:29:53,416 --> 00:29:57,876 CHRIS: It works like this. While we sleep, the junk that builds up during the day 466 00:29:57,962 --> 00:30:01,342 is washed away by a kind of trash disposal service 467 00:30:01,633 --> 00:30:03,133 called the glymphatic system. 468 00:30:05,011 --> 00:30:08,641 But, as we age, and especially when we don't sleep properly, 469 00:30:08,848 --> 00:30:10,978 this cleanup operation gets sloppy. 470 00:30:12,352 --> 00:30:16,482 Harmful waste starts to build up faster than it can be cleared away. 471 00:30:16,898 --> 00:30:18,228 Jamming up the works, 472 00:30:20,985 --> 00:30:24,945 causing inflammation, and potentially leading to Alzheimer's. 473 00:30:31,287 --> 00:30:34,037 PETER: There's a lot Chris can start doing right now 474 00:30:34,165 --> 00:30:37,125 to improve the duration and quality of his sleep. 475 00:30:37,585 --> 00:30:38,955 Creating simple habits, 476 00:30:39,045 --> 00:30:42,165 like going to bed and waking up at consistent times, 477 00:30:42,382 --> 00:30:44,432 reducing stress before bedtime, 478 00:30:44,676 --> 00:30:46,796 and checking out of email and social media. 479 00:30:47,929 --> 00:30:49,969 That's easy when he's camping in the woods. 480 00:30:50,306 --> 00:30:53,306 But hopefully enacting these changes when he's back home 481 00:30:53,518 --> 00:30:57,558 will reap the real dividends in terms of his future cognitive health. 482 00:30:59,399 --> 00:31:01,989 And a healthy sleep regimen isn't the only thing 483 00:31:02,110 --> 00:31:03,570 that Chris should keep practicing. 484 00:31:04,320 --> 00:31:06,910 (MEDICINE BALL THUDDING) 485 00:31:07,490 --> 00:31:08,530 LUKE: Good. 486 00:31:08,700 --> 00:31:12,080 PETER: In fact, many of the habits he's already adopted 487 00:31:12,537 --> 00:31:15,537 can help to prevent brain disease in later life. 488 00:31:15,957 --> 00:31:17,167 LUKE: There you go! 489 00:31:17,584 --> 00:31:22,014 PETER: By periodically fasting and eating a diet rich in vegetables and fish, 490 00:31:22,380 --> 00:31:26,130 he's fighting the cellular aging that contributes to Alzheimer's disease. 491 00:31:27,010 --> 00:31:29,470 Don't know whether to laugh or cry. (CHUCKLES) 492 00:31:30,763 --> 00:31:33,223 PETER: Taking steps to reduce his stress levels 493 00:31:33,433 --> 00:31:35,733 should also help protect his memory. 494 00:31:36,477 --> 00:31:39,477 And exposing his body to extreme temperature 495 00:31:39,689 --> 00:31:42,979 has been shown to significantly reduce the risk of Alzheimer's. 496 00:31:49,782 --> 00:31:51,832 OTIS: How'd you sleep last night? It was pretty wet. 497 00:31:52,201 --> 00:31:54,541 CHRIS: It was beautiful with the waterfall in the background. 498 00:31:55,622 --> 00:31:58,422 -Mm. Waterfall sung me to sleep. -Yeah. 499 00:32:00,585 --> 00:32:03,665 So it's day two, and after a good night's sleep, 500 00:32:03,755 --> 00:32:04,835 I feel refreshed. 501 00:32:11,137 --> 00:32:14,597 I know I've only spent a day and a night away from my phone and emails, 502 00:32:14,807 --> 00:32:16,807 but already my mind feels clearer 503 00:32:17,602 --> 00:32:18,732 and calm. 504 00:32:19,646 --> 00:32:21,266 And I'm excited for what's to come. 505 00:32:22,023 --> 00:32:24,573 Do you know which direction we're gonna walk today? 506 00:32:24,776 --> 00:32:27,526 (CHUCKLES) Continuing northwest? 507 00:32:29,197 --> 00:32:30,367 Have we got any sun yet? 508 00:32:30,531 --> 00:32:32,661 I reckon the sun will come out a bit later. 509 00:32:33,284 --> 00:32:38,334 We're gonna get to Wrights Lookout hopefully in time for the corroboree. 510 00:32:41,793 --> 00:32:43,843 CHRIS: So, where we're heading, Wrights Lookout, 511 00:32:43,962 --> 00:32:48,092 is a very special meeting place for the indigenous people in this area, 512 00:32:48,633 --> 00:32:51,553 where, in the past, different nations would gather. 513 00:32:53,763 --> 00:32:56,813 CHRIS: What is a corroboree exactly? What are we expecting to happen? 514 00:32:57,058 --> 00:32:59,558 OTIS: Well, three nations are going to be meeting, 515 00:32:59,644 --> 00:33:02,984 and we're gonna have a dance, and it's about sharing wisdom 516 00:33:03,064 --> 00:33:06,194 -and just appreciating country together. -CHRIS: Yeah. 517 00:33:07,402 --> 00:33:10,572 It's about feeling connected to something outside yourself. 518 00:33:11,072 --> 00:33:13,572 OTIS: For sure, hundred percent. There hasn't been a corroboree up here 519 00:33:13,700 --> 00:33:15,620 for over 100 years, so it's gonna be really special 520 00:33:15,702 --> 00:33:18,202 and it's gonna be super powerful and... 521 00:33:19,539 --> 00:33:21,249 spiritually recharging. 522 00:33:25,169 --> 00:33:26,629 It's starting to get steeper. 523 00:33:30,049 --> 00:33:32,509 -CHRIS: Got your rock climbing gear? -(OTIS SIGHS) 524 00:33:32,927 --> 00:33:34,597 -(CHRIS CHUCKLING) -OTIS: I'll give it a go. 525 00:33:39,350 --> 00:33:42,940 The second day of the hike holds a different kind of challenge for Chris. 526 00:33:44,981 --> 00:33:46,361 To get to Wrights Lookout, 527 00:33:46,566 --> 00:33:49,526 he and Otis have to climb up the side of a mountain. 528 00:34:01,456 --> 00:34:03,786 Although you might consider it a workout for the body, 529 00:34:04,250 --> 00:34:06,380 it's just as much of a workout for the brain. 530 00:34:11,924 --> 00:34:13,594 OTIS: You look like a bit of a mountain goat, man. 531 00:34:13,718 --> 00:34:14,838 CHRIS: Yeah. 532 00:34:15,219 --> 00:34:17,179 OTIS: All that gym work. You'd be able to carry me up there. 533 00:34:17,263 --> 00:34:18,353 (CHRIS CHUCKLES) 534 00:34:21,684 --> 00:34:22,894 SHARON: When we exercise, 535 00:34:22,977 --> 00:34:26,477 our body produces a chemical that acts like a fertilizer for the brain. 536 00:34:27,982 --> 00:34:30,902 It encourages neurons to grow and stay healthy. 537 00:34:33,571 --> 00:34:35,281 -CHRIS: Getting closer. -OTIS: We're getting there. 538 00:34:36,074 --> 00:34:40,044 SHARON: And we know from multiple studies that regular exercise in midlife 539 00:34:40,244 --> 00:34:42,754 can reduce our chances of getting Alzheimer's disease 540 00:34:43,039 --> 00:34:45,289 by almost 50 percent. 541 00:34:48,377 --> 00:34:51,377 And exercise, combined with a cognitive challenge, 542 00:34:51,714 --> 00:34:54,844 is proving to be an extremely powerful tool 543 00:34:55,259 --> 00:34:56,589 in the fight against dementia. 544 00:34:58,554 --> 00:35:00,014 Even when we grow older. 545 00:35:03,518 --> 00:35:06,648 (SOFT MUSIC PLAYING) 546 00:35:13,736 --> 00:35:17,446 GUDRUN: (IN GERMAN) My mother died five years ago, 547 00:35:19,200 --> 00:35:25,040 and sadly, she suffered from dementia. 548 00:35:26,499 --> 00:35:29,039 And yes, it lives with me in the back of my mind, 549 00:35:29,127 --> 00:35:30,877 good grief, it's going to happen 550 00:35:30,962 --> 00:35:32,002 or may happen to me. 551 00:35:34,465 --> 00:35:36,505 FEMALE VOICE: One, two, three, four. 552 00:35:38,344 --> 00:35:40,434 CHRIS: (IN ENGLISH) Every week, seventy-year-old Gudrun 553 00:35:40,513 --> 00:35:42,273 attends a local dance class. 554 00:35:42,557 --> 00:35:45,057 (MUSIC CONTINUES) 555 00:35:47,228 --> 00:35:52,278 GUDRUN: (IN GERMAN) Sometimes I don't feel as good as I did 30 years ago. 556 00:35:54,610 --> 00:35:55,900 But mostly, 557 00:35:56,028 --> 00:35:57,448 I'm in pretty good shape. 558 00:35:58,781 --> 00:36:01,951 (INDISTINCT CHATTER AND LAUGHTER) 559 00:36:03,452 --> 00:36:05,542 (DANCE INSTRUCTOR SPEAKING GERMAN) 560 00:36:05,830 --> 00:36:08,330 CHRIS: (IN ENGLISH) But this is no ordinary dance lesson. 561 00:36:08,791 --> 00:36:10,421 It's a scientific study. 562 00:36:11,794 --> 00:36:14,964 Its purpose, to find out whether an exercise like dancing 563 00:36:15,047 --> 00:36:18,507 is more beneficial for the aging brain than an ordinary workout. 564 00:36:20,136 --> 00:36:22,636 Dancing is learning complicated movements. 565 00:36:22,889 --> 00:36:26,929 It's not like sitting on a bike where you do repetitive movements. 566 00:36:28,186 --> 00:36:33,646 So we think that our dancing is a better way to improve brain function 567 00:36:33,774 --> 00:36:38,654 because it involves this combination of cognitive and physical challenge. 568 00:36:40,406 --> 00:36:41,866 (MUSIC ENDS) 569 00:36:44,452 --> 00:36:45,872 CHRIS: Scientists have discovered 570 00:36:45,995 --> 00:36:48,535 that our brains have the capacity to grow and develop 571 00:36:48,664 --> 00:36:51,924 new connections even in late adulthood. 572 00:36:53,794 --> 00:36:55,304 (GUDRUN GREETING IN GERMAN) 573 00:36:55,379 --> 00:36:57,419 I'm the guinea pig! (CHUCKLES) 574 00:36:58,132 --> 00:36:59,762 CHRIS: (IN ENGLISH) So Notger and his team 575 00:36:59,926 --> 00:37:02,636 want to find out how effective the dance program is 576 00:37:02,803 --> 00:37:04,513 at stimulating that growth. 577 00:37:06,349 --> 00:37:08,519 They're looking for signs of positive change 578 00:37:08,768 --> 00:37:11,058 in that region of the brain vital for memory. 579 00:37:13,147 --> 00:37:18,027 NOTGER: (IN GERMAN) Please show me the front part of the hippocampus. 580 00:37:18,361 --> 00:37:19,451 (SPEAKING GERMAN) 581 00:37:21,113 --> 00:37:22,113 (IN ENGLISH) Stop. 582 00:37:24,533 --> 00:37:27,123 (IN GERMAN) You can see an increase here. 583 00:37:28,412 --> 00:37:29,832 It looks really good. 584 00:37:31,499 --> 00:37:33,919 (GENTLE MUSIC PLAYING) 585 00:37:35,002 --> 00:37:37,962 NOTGER: (IN ENGLISH) This was such a big relief because our results show 586 00:37:38,089 --> 00:37:40,679 that dancing has an amazing potential 587 00:37:40,800 --> 00:37:43,430 in improving brain function and structure. 588 00:37:44,303 --> 00:37:49,313 And we really hope that dancing will be able to prevent 589 00:37:49,392 --> 00:37:51,232 cases of dementia in the future. 590 00:37:54,480 --> 00:37:57,190 CHRIS: It's not just Gudrun's results which are impressive. 591 00:37:58,109 --> 00:38:01,239 The dancing group showed more growth in the hippocampus 592 00:38:01,570 --> 00:38:04,280 compared with those who followed a conventional workout. 593 00:38:06,117 --> 00:38:09,697 (IN GERMAN) Well, the results had a real "wow effect" on me. 594 00:38:11,163 --> 00:38:13,793 So I'm giving myself a bit of a pat on the back, 595 00:38:13,916 --> 00:38:15,536 telling myself "well done." 596 00:38:22,258 --> 00:38:23,838 (MUSIC FADES) 597 00:38:24,051 --> 00:38:27,141 CHRIS: (IN ENGLISH) We've been climbing for a few hours, and finally, 598 00:38:27,346 --> 00:38:30,216 Wrights Lookout feels within touching distance. 599 00:38:32,226 --> 00:38:34,056 -CHRIS: Straight up here? -OTIS: Yeah. 600 00:38:37,231 --> 00:38:39,821 (EXHALES DEEPLY) 601 00:38:41,527 --> 00:38:43,897 (BOTH CHUCKLE) 602 00:38:47,992 --> 00:38:50,242 Is this the right spot? (CHUCKLES) 603 00:38:50,745 --> 00:38:53,205 (MAJESTIC MUSIC PLAYING) 604 00:38:57,168 --> 00:38:58,838 -CHRIS: (PANTING) Well done, mate. -OTIS: Good job. 605 00:38:59,003 --> 00:39:00,053 Good job. 606 00:39:02,798 --> 00:39:04,008 CHRIS: We've made it. 607 00:39:04,925 --> 00:39:07,845 And all without a phone, GPS, or even a map. 608 00:39:09,305 --> 00:39:13,265 Just the one thing people used for millennia to navigate this earth. 609 00:39:13,893 --> 00:39:15,063 Our brains. 610 00:39:15,561 --> 00:39:17,151 -That's where we walked from. -(EXHALES DEEPLY) 611 00:39:17,605 --> 00:39:20,145 -Long way. -It is a long way. 612 00:39:20,316 --> 00:39:22,186 Gives you some perspective, doesn't it? 613 00:39:27,656 --> 00:39:28,656 (MUSIC FADES) 614 00:39:28,783 --> 00:39:31,453 As I look out at how far Otis and I have come, 615 00:39:32,161 --> 00:39:33,911 the beauty of this landscape, 616 00:39:34,538 --> 00:39:37,538 I think about what the elder said to us before we set off. 617 00:39:38,459 --> 00:39:39,999 "Listen with your own ears 618 00:39:40,836 --> 00:39:42,376 "and see with your own eyes." 619 00:39:44,131 --> 00:39:45,881 And now it makes perfect sense. 620 00:39:46,384 --> 00:39:50,264 If we block out the noise and truly tune in to the natural world, 621 00:39:50,721 --> 00:39:51,811 we'll live better. 622 00:39:55,351 --> 00:39:56,851 It's been a long two days, 623 00:39:58,604 --> 00:40:00,564 but we've made it here for the corroboree, 624 00:40:02,108 --> 00:40:03,228 the gathering. 625 00:40:04,402 --> 00:40:06,572 (MALE VOICE CHANTING IN INDIGENOUS LANGUAGE) 626 00:40:07,029 --> 00:40:09,869 (CLAPSTICKS BEATING RHYTHMICALLY) 627 00:40:10,199 --> 00:40:14,039 (MALE VOICES SINGING) 628 00:40:16,288 --> 00:40:18,498 ELDER: (IN ENGLISH) On behalf of the three nations, 629 00:40:18,707 --> 00:40:21,087 we want to invite you to come dance with us. 630 00:40:22,336 --> 00:40:23,336 -Sure. Thank you. -Yeah. 631 00:40:24,839 --> 00:40:26,799 -I'm not much of a dancer. -MALE VOICE: That's all right! 632 00:40:27,508 --> 00:40:30,048 You know, I really thought I was gonna be just observing. 633 00:40:31,554 --> 00:40:33,684 And now, I feel really nervous. 634 00:40:34,014 --> 00:40:34,934 (CHUCKLES) 635 00:40:41,814 --> 00:40:44,154 (SPEAKS INDIGENOUS LANGUAGE) 636 00:40:51,407 --> 00:40:53,907 -(IN ENGLISH) Paddle left. Paddle right. -Paddle left, paddle right. 637 00:40:53,993 --> 00:40:57,583 Low, low, shoulder, shoulder. 638 00:40:57,955 --> 00:40:58,995 All right. 639 00:40:59,373 --> 00:41:01,833 CHRIS: There's such a beautiful welcoming from everybody there, 640 00:41:01,917 --> 00:41:04,667 and encouragement, that I pretty quickly get into it. 641 00:41:09,216 --> 00:41:12,216 (CHANTING IN INDIGENOUS LANGUAGE) 642 00:41:19,310 --> 00:41:21,270 CHRIS: (IN ENGLISH) And I look over at Otis, 643 00:41:23,814 --> 00:41:27,074 and, uh, I start to see what it means for him. 644 00:41:31,614 --> 00:41:33,324 The meeting of these three nations. 645 00:41:33,491 --> 00:41:35,371 (DIDGERIDOO DRONING) 646 00:41:35,534 --> 00:41:37,244 OTIS: I feel empowered. 647 00:41:38,329 --> 00:41:41,459 I feel a sense of belonging as well. 648 00:41:42,750 --> 00:41:46,630 Because this gathering is to waken our ancestors 649 00:41:46,754 --> 00:41:49,474 in the memories and our stories from the earth. 650 00:41:52,176 --> 00:41:57,556 Not only am I creating new and beautiful memories... 651 00:42:00,935 --> 00:42:04,935 but I get to share that with Chris, and we get to talk about that 652 00:42:05,022 --> 00:42:06,232 for the years to come. 653 00:42:08,651 --> 00:42:11,451 -(CLAPSTICKS BEATING RAPIDLY) -(DREAMY MUSIC PLAYING) 654 00:42:11,695 --> 00:42:13,355 I started this journey concerned 655 00:42:13,489 --> 00:42:15,529 that I might lose my memories when I'm older. 656 00:42:19,411 --> 00:42:23,171 But I've realized just how much of this is in my own hands. 657 00:42:23,707 --> 00:42:26,667 (CHANTING AND SINGING DISTANTLY) 658 00:42:26,835 --> 00:42:30,375 CHRIS: The prescription is simple. Eat and sleep well. 659 00:42:31,632 --> 00:42:34,722 Challenge my mind and body with new experiences, 660 00:42:35,052 --> 00:42:37,012 and immerse myself in nature 661 00:42:37,638 --> 00:42:40,598 away from the distractions and stress of modern life. 662 00:42:42,851 --> 00:42:45,731 And crucially, share all of this with the people I love. 663 00:42:49,900 --> 00:42:52,570 None of these simple acts are bitter medicine. 664 00:42:54,947 --> 00:42:56,947 They're things I love to do anyway. 665 00:42:58,909 --> 00:43:00,489 Things I want to do more often. 666 00:43:01,996 --> 00:43:05,366 And hopefully, I'll not only live a happier and more rewarding life, 667 00:43:06,208 --> 00:43:10,838 bringing joy to my family and my friends just as my grandpa did, 668 00:43:12,673 --> 00:43:15,883 but together we'll forge precious new memories 669 00:43:16,218 --> 00:43:18,388 that will live with me for the rest of my life. 670 00:43:18,512 --> 00:43:19,512 (MUSIC FADES) 671 00:43:20,097 --> 00:43:23,637 (THEME MUSIC PLAYING) 672 00:44:21,116 --> 00:44:22,866 (MUSIC ENDS)