Every single one of them responds to loads put on them from gravity, anything we are carrying and movement by a process called mechano-transduction:
- bones increase in strength and density
- muscles increase in size, add more energy giving mitochondria
- tendons get stronger
- joints loosen
- muscle groups work better together with more balance
- metabolism increases
- organs work better, including the brain
- digestion improved
Lack of movement has the opposite effect, it really is use it or lose it.
If I asked you what movement you have done today you may say not a lot as its been a work day.
However we move all the time.
Hearts beat, eyes move, hairs stand on end.
Adding some more movement can have astounding effects on our health.
Remember the diagram and theory of the circulatory system we learnt in school? The heart pumps or pushes the oxygenated blood around the body right?
Seems like a lot of work for our ticker huh?!
Its only half the story so it seems...
MOVING our bodies has the effect of using the muscles to help draw the blood round the body.
NOT moving means the heart does all the work on its own.
From a cellular level where nutrients, waste products, blood, plasma etc are moved around the body better with movement, to the fact that using our muscles actually helps our capillaries fill with blood.....movement really does give us life!
The good news is that we are not always referring to gym circuit
sessions, it is simply changing your geometry as often as you can.
If you have been sitting, get up
If you have been standing, sit or lie down
Walk more, drive less
If you cant get up, stretch your arms, bend forward, tuck your bum back
and roll each shoulder.
I think you get the picture!
Your body shape is the sum total of all the movement you have done in your life so far
Make it a mission just to move more and you really will start to iron out the kinks.
Still water stagnates, running water keeps fresh
J
