Anatomy = Form and Physiology = Function
Now that we have discussed form and proper postural anatomy, we should talk function and proper physical physiology. The human body and all its parts were made to move. Movement is life.
Our last blog, 3 steps to Make Your Posture Great Again, brought to light some problems with bad form. Bad form will lead to early wear and tear of the joints due to the increased abnormal stress on joints when trying to move. An example is with upper crossed syndrome when the shoulders are rounded. The rounded shoulder puts an abnormal amount of pressure on the muscles of the rotator cuff. This abnormal pressure will increase the risk of the rotator cuff tearing while performing normal tasks.
“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication” – Davinci
The human anatomy with its sleek yet simple design is perfect for movement. Your entire structure revolves around 6 types of joints. They are pivot, hinge, saddle, plane, condyloid, and ball-and-socket joints. (link) Click the link for an in-depth understanding of these joints. For this blog, let’s make this brief. These joints all have different jobs and work together to make sure your body can function at optimum levels. Joints from a mechanical perspective create pivotal points in your protective bony structure allowing for complex movement and action. One of the coolest features of these bones and their joints is when stacked together they can make arcs or arches. Multiple bones and joints are brought together for a bigger purpose. The ultimate marriage of stability and mobility within a system.
Bone of ARC
Arcs in nature and in the world of architecture, are some of the strongest structures on earth. In the human body, you have arches in the feet and spine to create springs. These arched springs (video link) work to defend your body against gravity.
Losing these curves like fallen arches in the feet or alordosis in the neck can have devastating effects on the joints and surrounding structures. When not prevented, joint changes like osteoarthritis will accelerate causing early degeneration. These changes can eventually lead to neurological dysfunction and possibly end organ failure. (subluxation)
The Hip bone's connected to your... Everything!
These beautifully designed joints were created this way to create simple movement with very complex results. Their use, in fact, can have many positive effects on your body other than just movement.
Movement has been shown to affect other bodily systems from digestion to mood and immunity to intelligence. Multiple studies have shown that 30 minutes of exercise every day can improve your mood better than using antidepressants.
Similar studies have shown that movement improves cognitive function through the function of proprioception. This literally means that a joint moving through a full range of motion will feed the brain proprioceptive neurological input, thus maintaining or creating synapses.
The lymphatic system uses movement as its pump to move lymphatic fluid throughout the body, thus decreasing your toxic load.
Movement literally is integral to your life. Use it or lose it. Chiropractors have maintained this understanding of the body for more than a century. Proper motion of the spine is directly correlated to optimal health of the human body. Feed the brain these impulses or it will soon atrophy and degenerate.
Wall-E
Unfortunately, the way our society is headed, movement is of little importance to our “influencers”. The natural world and its ways are being forced out for a new type of living. Never before in the history of the world have we had such a sedentary society. It has also been said that never before has the human being been so sick.
Our human ecosystem has been ravaged by man-made technologies with the most noble intentions. So… What do we do with other ecosystems in nature when we humans interfere with how it functions and consequently contribute to its destruction? We usually remove anything man-made and let the ecosystem restore itself. Mother nature is known for its great ability to detoxify and restore itself.
Check out this article: “Fish numbers triple after oil spill fishing closures.”
Movement is one of the few essential parts of our ecosystem. This is what the Innate Essentials is all about. Living within our genetic code.
What exercises should I do?
Move! Any movement is better than no movement. However, exercise is more complex than it should be. This is because the idea of exercise is man-made in order to deal with our current postmodern lifestyles.
We human beings need many different types of exercise for optimum health. Exercise that is constantly varied and random in nature. We need full range of motion exercises such as stretching, yoga, Tai Chi, swimming, gymnastics, etc. Then we also need strength training programs such as weightlifting, Pilates, Crossfit. Don’t forget cardiovascular exercises such as running, cycling, Hiit training. We really need all 3. Mobility exercises complimented by stability exercises and finished with some cardiovascular exercise make for a well-rounded routine.
In my experience CrossFit usually accomplishes all 3 areas. However, this is most often a high impact type of training. High impact training can also prematurely wear out the musculoskeletal system. For those of you looking for more sophisticated knowledge of movement, check out Ido Portal.
If you are a beginner, then let’s start with walking or swimming, along with some personal training for a basic strength program and stretching routine. Seeing a Chiropractor regularly can help to assess your specific needs when it comes to health of your joints and body.
How much do we really need?
I’ve asked this question during talks I’ve given, from kindergarteners to the geriatric population. “As we get older, do we get stiffer or looser?” Right, and as we get older do we move more or less? Right! Now when is the last time you got on the monkey bars?
Movement all day is ideal. It has been shown that just standing up from your chair and sitting back down is beneficial. Mercola.com has a great summary of Dr. Joan Vernikos’ work. You can check out her book here Sitting Kills, Moving Heals. The big idea is to move every 20 minutes consistently throughout the day and you will stave away multiple health related disorders. Moving consistently throughout the day has been shown to be better for the body than just moving for a small period of time as is done in a gym setting. As a society our sedentary lifestyles are leading to postural dysfunctions and chronic degenerative conditions.
One Adjustment Action Step
1. Don’t sit longer than 20 minutes (See the postural blog)
2. Focused exercise daily for 30 minutes minimum
3. Chiropractic specific adjustment at a monthly minimum. (If you are going to live in today’s sedentary society, then you ought to have a Chiropractor in your corner.)
4. Try many different exercises. Stretch, strengthen and increase that heart rate. Experiment, but consistently move. Change your current autopilot.
Happy Monday
-Nick the DC
Link to our next blog post: Innate Essential #5 – Eat Real Food
Disclaimer: The One Adjustment website and blog does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment of any type. One Adjustment uses affiliate links as a means to support the content provided at no extra cost to you. Please see disclaimer link for more details.
