How to Improve Your Memory & Cognitive Function at Any Age | Dr. Alan Castel — Key Takeaways
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How to Improve Your Memory & Cognitive Function at Any Age | Dr. Alan Castel
Andrew Huberman2h 29mJul 13, 2026
Watch the originalWalking 3–4 times per week for 40 minutes increases hippocampal volume by ~1% and measurably improves memory, directly countering the typical 1–2% annual shrinkage that begins around age 50.
Key takeaways
Walking 3-4x/week for 40 min grew hippocampal volume 1% vs. 1-2% annual shrinkage
Walking 3-4x/week for 40 min grew hippocampal volume 1% vs. 1-2% annual shrinkage
- RCT: walking group vs. stretching group over 1 year; walkers gained 1% hippocampal volume while controls continued shrinking.
- Memory performance was significantly better in the walking group at 1-year follow-up.
Errorful retrieval before re-studying encodes information more deeply than passive review
Errorful retrieval before re-studying encodes information more deeply than passive review
- Attempting recall before seeing correct answer (even failing) produces stronger memory than repeated passive exposure — demonstrated with Apple logo recognition test.
- Mechanism: retrieval failure triggers deeper encoding when corrective feedback follows; applies to any learning domain.
One in four adults over 65 will fall; balance declines silently before any fall occurs
One in four adults over 65 will fall; balance declines silently before any fall occurs
- Simple test: standing on one leg eyes-open for 10 sec is baseline; eyes-closed causes tipping even in younger adults, revealing hidden deficit.
- Falls trigger immobility → reduced walking → hippocampal shrinkage, creating a compounding cognitive decline cascade.
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In this video
- 1mDr. Alan Castel
- 3mWhat Is Memory?, Reconstruction & Metacognition
- 5mMnemonics, Remembering Names & Deeper Learning
- 8mThe Penny & Apple Logo, Noticing vs Seeing, Learning Through Mistakes
- 11mSponsors: Wealthfront & Helix
- 14mNeuroplasticity, Frustration, Curiosity & Mindset
- 18mMaintaining vs Learning New Things, Habits, Novelty & Emotional Memory
- 24m"Mental Photographs," Photo-Taking & Imagining the Future
- 29mEyewitness Memory, the Ronald Cotton Case, Confidence vs Accuracy
- 35mMedium-Term & Prospective Memory, Hotel Fire Exits
- 40mSponsor: AG1
- 42mWhen Habits Turn Lethal, Aviation & Human Error
- 49mWhy Memory Changes With Age; Alzheimer's & the Nun Study
- 53mExercise & Hippocampal Volume, Falls & Balance
- 57mSuperAgers & Athletes; Regret, Balance & Being Driven
- 1h 12mSponsor: Function
- 1h 14mAge Stereotypes, Subjective Age & Positive Age Beliefs
- 1h 20mGoals & Plans, Scams; Anterior Midcingulate Cortex & SuperAgers
- 1h 26mCulture, Resilience, Blue Zones & COVID
- 1h 29mAdversity, the Positivity Effect & Intergenerational Learning
- 1h 37mSponsor: Lingo
- 1h 38mLimitations & Purpose; Time, Family & Connection
- 1h 45mDeliberately Building Memories; the ABCs of Successful Aging
- 1h 51mFollowing Your Interests; Castel's Path & Older Adults
- 1h 57mMental Simulations, Curiosity Studies & Selectivity
- 2h 1mSocioemotional Selectivity Theory; Steve Jobs & Lifespan
- 2h 7mThe Secret to Successful Aging; State vs Trait Curiosity
- 2h 11mScams & AI Voice Cloning
- 2h 15mJohn Wooden, Wisdom, Love & Balance
- 2h 18mLearning Through Mistakes; Does the Brain Get Better With Age?
- 2h 25mConclusion, Better With Age
- 2h 26mZero-Cost Support, YouTube, Spotify & Apple Follow, Reviews & Feedback, Sponsors, Protocols Book, Social Media, Neural Network Newsletter
“Subjective age is a better predictor of how long you'll live than your biological age.”
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