Why It's Not About Becoming a Gym Buff

We’re discussing movement and its connection to the nervous system. What role does neurology play in movement?

In our programs with our clients that we run in the clinic, we have coaching sessions, followed by therapy sessions. Afterward, they engage in FIP A, which focuses on neuromuscular connection.

Why do we incorporate these different components?

One thing I really want people to understand is that yes, movement and exercise are known to encourage a healthy body. You have to drink right, move right, eat right, sleep right, think right, and even poop right—all the right things you can do. But I don't want people to overlook the critical understanding of what truly happens with movement and why it's relevant to the brain, brain health, and the symptoms you may be experiencing. So, let's delve into the topic of movement.

In my perspective, movement isn't about turning you into a gym buff or a fitness freak. Our goal is much more important: to establish a strong connection between the activities of the nervous system and what's occurring in the body.

Have you ever experienced a situation where your leg or arm was in a cast, and over time, the muscles started to atrophy? When you eventually remove the cast, you notice that one arm looks significantly smaller compared to the other. This occurs because the body begins to limit energy to that specific area, aiming to conserve energy for overall preservation.

When you engage in learning something new, your brain creates numerous new neurons, resembling little fireworks, forming new neuronal connections. As you learn, the goal is to actively utilize and engage these newly formed neurons.

Imagine you're learning Spanish. Each time you acquire new knowledge, you create a new little dendrite, a new connection, a new line, a small firework that stems from that. However, if you don't use the newly acquired information, those dendrites simply fall away, lacking reinforcement.

This applies to what you're learning in the program or the various aspects you're addressing mentally, physically, and emotionally. Whether it's spiritual growth or lifestyle changes, just like those Spanish words, you don't want those dendrites to wither away. Practice and application strengthen those new Spanish words, increasing the number of dendrites. In any learning process, we aim to actively use what we've recently built.

As you learn new material and explore different ideas, these ideas alter the pathways in your brain. We often discuss neural cognizance and the importance of training to modify neural pathways. The idea is that by changing your mind and thoughts, you can ultimately change your life. Physiologically speaking, what's actually happening is that we're creating new neurons in the brain.

Now, once these neurons are formed, our goal is to activate and utilize them. This requires integrating the work into the body to establish a strong connection between the brain, brainstem, nervous system, and the body. This connectivity allows us to use and retain those new dendrites we've generated.

Moreover, there's a broader connection at play. When you move within your world, it sends signals to the brain, signaling safety.

Remember, the nervous system is constantly scanning, and it does so based on perception. This includes all your sensory experiences—what you see, hear, taste, smell, and touch—along with what's happening in your body, from your overall physical sensations to what your stomach and intestines are doing.

All of this information is transmitted up the spinal column to the brain, providing messages to clue the brain in on how the body is doing and what to anticipate. The brain processes this information and determines what actions are needed, sending signals back down to the respective parts of the body.

When you engage in a workout and consciously decide to activate your muscles, the brain sends signals down through nerve messages, especially via the vagus nerve, reaching the axons near the muscle fibers. At this juncture, there's a tiny gap known as a synaptic cleft—an airspace between the axon and the muscle fiber. The crucial neurotransmitter that must traverse this space is none other than acetylcholine.

Acetylcholine is the primary neurotransmitter utilized by the vagus nerve. We often emphasize the importance of the vagus nerve as it regulates the balance between the parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous systems. Acetylcholine is essential for various functions, including muscle contraction and regulating the shift from the parasympathetic (rest and digest) to the sympathetic (fight or flight) response. Additionally, it plays a key role in cognitive function.

If you're feeling restless, jittery, or constantly ruminating, it's often a sign that you need to move. Acetylcholine needs to be utilized by the muscles to release energy. Once this energy is used and calcium levels decrease in the muscles, signals are sent back up to the brain.

Now, let's discuss the brain chemistry. Acetylcholine is part of the cholinergic pathway, known for its positive and regulating effects on brain function. Similar to dopamine, which is often referred to as a 'happy chemical,' acetylcholine contributes to a balanced mental state.

The cholinergic pathway is crucial in regulating dopamine and norepinephrine, neurotransmitters associated with various aspects of mood and cognition. For some individuals, stress might feel normal because their brain operates in a cycle where stress is necessary to stimulate the production of adrenaline, dopamine, norepinephrine, and cortisol for them to function normally. Our aim is to regulate this cycle and the associated pathways.

Acetylcholine plays a vital role in achieving this regulation. Signs that you might observe in yourself include feeling jittery or shaky even while sitting down.

If you find yourself experiencing higher levels of anxiety than usual, grappling with digestive symptoms, struggling to halt constant rumination, or feeling trapped in your thoughts, it may indicate a need to utilize acetylcholine. The key is to transmit those messages from the brainstem and spinal column into the muscle fibers.

This process sheds light on why people often feel a significant boost in well-being after a workout.

Movement doesn't have to resemble a p90x workout or require dressing up in a cute gym outfit, followed by a lengthy cleanup. It doesn't have to be a two-hour ordeal, or attending a cycling group every Tuesday. If that's something you enjoy, go for it. The fundamental idea is simply movement—just move! Your joints are designed to move, your muscles are meant to contract and relax, your tendons, ligaments, and even your face are meant to be in motion.

When your face doesn't move, it can lead to adhesions, where tissues from one connective system adhere to another. We want to avoid adhesions. Movement doesn't have to be extravagant; it can be yoga, an easy walk, or anything that gets your body in motion.

I'd love to hear your experiences with this. Please provide feedback if you give it a try. See if it helps reduce rumination, makes you feel better, stops the shaking, or improves digestion. Acetylcholine needs a pathway to be utilized, and movement provides that path—from nerves to muscles, there needs to be that vital connection.

So why wouldn't we engage in exercises or activities where we consciously focus on utilizing that connection between the nerves and the messaging system, directing it to the actual body? Give it a try and see what results you come up with. I would greatly appreciate hearing your feedback on what you've tried and how it's worked for you.