Move Your Body To Optimize Neuro Function
Your brain and body are spectacular.
The brain & spinal cord are the core of your nervous system. Each protected deep within sheaths of hard bones, the scull and the spine, with sensitive satellites that allow us to feel and to know.
These are the nerves and neurons. They are intricately laced, tucked and spread throughout bones and softer tissues like muscles, fat, and fascia.
There are 3 crucial things You NEED to do to support your brain and its spectacular spinal cord:
1. Aerobic Movement.
2. Motor Learning Experiences.
3. Focused Attention Exercises.
We'll focus on here on 1. Aerobic Movement!
1. Aerobic Movement:
You don't have to go on a treadmill at the gym to get aerobic movement. There are many fun and practical ways to implement a daily routine of aerobic movement.
To support your brain and nervous system with aerobic movement you can:
Walk
Dance
Sports
Clean
Chop
Kick
Crawl...
Aerobic Movement is anything you are actively doing with repetitive motion. Can be slow or fast but not stationary. It is synonymous with cardiovascular endurance.
Aerobic Movement gets your heart going as your breathing demands increase =aerobic activity.
It doesn't have to be hard. What's important here is not intensity but that you have sustained flowing movement.
Cardio is continuous whole body rhythmic movement.
Every human, regardless of health or disability status needs to move for at least 10min at a time for a minimum total of 30min/day. Anything under 3 minutes uses other, non-aerobic energy channels from stored glucose and creatine phosphate.
Our cardiovascular systems, like river channels move nourishing fluid throughout. When we move our bodies, we help our heart to keep the blood flowing, not stagnating.
Aerobic Activity gets your blood moving which circulates nutrients, oxygen, & lymph throughout your body and brain. It is absolutely necessary for basic health. Turns out it's good for your brain too.
Aerobic Activity, along with Novel & Motor Learning Experiences and Focused Attention Exercises make up what is known as The Neuroplastic Triad. These 3 key actions are known to increase the brain's level of maleability, which is also known as neuroplasticity. Neuroplasticity is THE indicator of brain health.
To optimize neuro function you need aerobic movement, as well as novel motor learning experiences and focused attention practices which we'll look at in depth in part 2 and 3.
The three keys to optimizing neuro function can be summed: move, learn & pay attention.
Although it can get super complicated and nuanced, basically all we're doing is tying the mental, emotional & physical together.
We're not merely brains or merely physical beings. We know that brain and body impacts emotions and that emotions impact brain and body.
Studies in Health & Human Development and Exercise Sciences help to explain how and why. We know these things in our body even without the language to say how it is so.
Working as an emergency medical technician and as an American College of Sports Medicine physical activity and public health specialist, I've had the privilege to learn, witness, see and know how truly remarkable the body brain is. You can practice moving (aerobic movement), hands on learning (novel learning experiences), and tuning in or tuning out (focused attention practices) separately or you can do things that combine all three.
Slowly, carefully attentively is good. I love to combine all three. It gets me reaching into flow states. We can talk about this later.
Biblio/resume:
Norman Doerge The Brain That Heals Itself
Curt Thompson Anatomy of The Soul
John Ratey & Eric Hagerman-Spark
Sozo Somatics-Michelle Theillen
Nikki Myers Y12SR
Yoga for Addictions by YogaFit
ACE PT, EX SC, Health Coach Cert.
National Emergency Medical Tech.
American College of Sports Medicine Physical Activity & Public Health Specialist
To learn more , for free workshops & to
join my newsletter: You can send me an email at fieldsofrecovery@gmail.com.
This is how I train. This is how I coach. Whole body health. Mental. Emotional. Physical. Whole.
When I say Fields of Recovery, I'm talking about
Recovery of Land based practices and hands on learning
Recovery around mental health, behavioral health, addictions to things that harm us and the community and fellowship that comes with it. Patterning healthy habits with lifestyle medicine as a group.
Day to day physical body recovery. Healing the body with preventative medicine. The necessity of intentional active Recovery for optimum physical performance.
You need to have ebb and flow- recovery and rebound. I especially value endurance - sustained effort. It requires organizing your conditioning in concert with the functional demands of your daily life being certain to incorporate healing time= recovery.
Train with me and my teachers in the Adventure Wellness Club. Reach out. Call. DM. Find a way to get what you want FOR your body From your body. I can help you to get moving.
I use many of these strategies that support optimum brain function. Breath. Slow attentive movement. Tuning into your surroundings, heightening the 5 senses-, counter movements to support daily demands and stresses, periodization, scheduling rhythm and routine... stealthily moving from fight or flight to rest and digest and back again as necessary.
Adventure Wellness Club
Inperson & online
If you're interested, please schedule a Free Body Goals Strategy Session to get clear on your goals and see if it is a good fit for you now at this time Book online here:
In Person in Burlington Washington Summer Special. Yoga. Capoeira. Boxing. BJJ. MMA Strength & Conditioning. $80. Unlimited classes. Mon-Sat. Kalahi Martial Arts Academy. Cascade Mall 201 Cascade Mall Dr, Burlington, WA 98233 beside the Cascade Chapel.
This year's Fall retreat is in Puglia, Italy in September. /if you are interested please contact me ASAP.
Moving The Brain-Novel Learning Experiences
We'll look at that in Part 2:
Focused Attention Part 3
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