Erik Scherder

At a glance

• Erik Scherder is a Dutch professor of neuropsychology at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU). He is also professor of human movement sciences at the University of Groningen.
• His research covers the link between movement and the brain, including in older adults and people with dementia. He has also studied how people with dementia experience pain.
• His core message: moving is good for your brain. Prolonged sitting is linked to poorer brain function, while walking, dancing and making music stimulate the brain.
• His book Laat je hersenen niet zitten (2014, ‘Don’t let your brain sit still’) became a Dutch bestseller, followed by Singing in the brain (2017) on music and the brain.
• His enthusiastic TV lectures made him a familiar face; he served on the Dutch Sports Council and received an honorary doctorate from the Open University of the Netherlands in 2021.
• For longevity, he matters because he links brain health to simple, daily movement.
• Takeaway: break up long periods of sitting, walk every day and choose activities that combine movement with music or company.