Move It OR Lose It

Jun 20, 2016

Move It Or Lose It!

Winter has hit. It’s getting colder, darker and those 6am sessions at the gym aren’t looking so good anymore. Some days it takes the motivation of an Olympic gold medalist to drag yourself out of bed, and you may start to wonder “why am I doing this?”. After all, those rainy mornings seem like the perfect time for a sleep in and missing one gym session surely isn’t going to matter.

Now is the time to understand why movement is so important for health and well being and use this knowledge to give yourself that extra kick to get to the gym!

First and foremost, movement is what you’re designed for.

Your body is made up of over 200 bones driven through your environment by hundreds of muscles. These muscles are held together by elastic connective tissue and covered by stretchy skin. Combined, these elements create a perfect system designed for one purpose. To move.

But what about your brain? What about your cells?

Your brain has two major jobs. Creating movement and thinking about creating movement. It does this in order to allow you to move through space and attain as much sensory input (information in) as possible. Good sensory input into the brain is important for keeping it healthy, allowing it to control and regulate all bodily function. This enables us to appropriately interact and respond to our surroundings, to socialize and grow, to survive and thrive.

Movement is vital for brain health.

Even our cells crave movement!

Cells require constant stimulation to maintain their function and stay healthy. This occurs through interaction with the environment and movement is an important part of this.

Movement is vital for cell health.

So what happens if you just stop?

Unfortunately, as the title suggests if you don’t move it, you lose it.

If your cells are starved of stimulation they may become unhealthy and fragile. Your brain becomes stressed and downstream functions can be affected. Joints become stiff, muscles switch off.

The good news is that all of this is reversible. Our brains and bodies are incredibly intelligent and adapt beautifully to the environment they are placed in.

In the last 10-15 years there has been a massive shift in our understanding of how the brain and body are connected. We now know that the brain has the ability to be rewired throughout your entire lifespan (known as neuroplasticity). It is the combination of both functional movement and healthy, free moving joints that plays a crucial role in this “rewiring” process.

The bottom line is that your brain needs input. Movement benefits your muscles and joints, improving their strength whilst, simultaneously firing neural pathways in the brain. The activation of these pathways provides sensory feedback, which keeps this vital organ functioning optimally.

Brain rules #101

- Sensory information IN (Enviornmental)

- Drives healthy brain function

- Controls and regulates all bodily function

So get out of bed and move! Move well and move often and enjoy the incredible effects it will have on you brain and body now, and for the rest of your life!