How Movement Affects Your Body
Body movements essential role is to help the body be able to take on tasks which are taken on in functional everyday life. These movements may include tasks that are also created in playing a sport or in exercising the body to improve its efficiency in these tasks.
When we are in movement the body is able to be used in many different ways, as the human body is able to move in space to perform and create functions in our everyday life. We may walk or run to get to where we need to go to and from, we squat to pick up an item from the floor, we reach for things in over head reach to name a few actions. This in essence is part of the everyday cycle of movement.
When the body is in movement, which is what it is intended to do for much of the day, or we participate in exercise or sports. Hormones are release called Endorphins which suppress stress. If one looks at why children do not look stressed is because their bodies instinctively play and express themselves through way of movement.
Body Movement is Essential to Life
The need to to move started when before we were ever born. The human body is geared this way from the time of growing in the their mothers womb. The body is new and with this comes a serge of energy. The nervous system is yet not fully developed and still not intact. Consequently, it moves first thing in the morning until sleep time. Ever see a child when they wake up they make a big deal out of this with yawns and arms and legs stretching in all directions. We all to soon leave this behind as we grow up into adults. It is a good rule to learn from nature as it shows us how essential movement truly is. Animals are in constant movement in their everyday from the crack of dawn to dusk. This is why many names in Pilates and Yoga come from animal stretches and movements.
Movement in Work Life
This is also true in the heritage fields of work where manual labor is part of the production of food, building or other labors using the body’s energy to bring to motion a form of labor and used also in transportation such as riding bicycle, using a kick scooter, or even the act of riding by horse. In modern day life more stationary ways of getting to work are now available. The most common ways to get to work or school and any place is by car, or bus in western societies. Most of the day we are at our computers sitting at a desk, sitting to get to and from our destinations. Movement then is left to walking or taking the time to allot for structured exercise and sport.
Our Bodies Naturally Benefit from Movement
Movement has many benefits a few top ones are worth mentioning. We all know from experience movement helps the mind work better. It helps the body to work optimally with the added benefits of the increase levels of oxygen, which reaches the body at a faster pace by way of a increased heart rate, cellular waste by perspiration happens to rid the body of toxins, and the added benefits of beneficial hormones, these provide a sense of well being.
How to Include Body Movement in Everyday Life
First look at your everyday life to include more ways to move. Walking is great and it is essential anyway. Running if you have the liking to this and have good knees. It will add a level of aerobic exercise. Find out what are the types of structured exercises and sports that draw and / or interest you. Remember the body needs to move more in many different ways. This way it will be able to use different muscles and develop stamina and improving the bodies level of bio mechanical proficiency.
Pilate Principles Improve Functional Movement
Pilates is a diverse methodology where movement happens beyond the Sagittal plane (parallel anterior and posterior movement). This method also includes rotation movement, along the horizontal plane of the mid body (Transverse plane) and lateral movements along the head movement in parallel line of the shoulder to the foot (Coronal axis). Flexion is a key movement to move the hips and work the abdomen muscles. Extension is another greatly needed movement for today’s sedentary body position, which causes under use of the pectoral chest muscles. This happens when there is prolong sitting at a computer or chest flexion position while looking over our phones. A body that moves in different ways is better equipped to avoid over use of body muscles and prevent under using others. There is so much involvement in the way Pilates does help and change our bodies to work better for us. It is this diversity in Pilates which allows for it to in a dynamic way shape the body and doing so this provides body corrections to happen. It is for all ages, men and women, post rehabilitation after an injury, and will improve any body’s functional way of moving as well as hone the athletic body.
In all, structured movement is essential to target specific areas which need work and body correction. It takes patience and persistence, which in the end develops our bodies, but also the mind as it is best at work when the body is in movement.