Fight or Flight, Rest & Digest – Managing Stress

Stress in managed within the human body through the nervous system. More specifically the interaction between the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. Most people pay no attention the functions until they are out of balance and begin to affect their health and happiness. Often people will deal with the imbalance through medications, drugs, alcohol, and sometimes diet. You might be surprised at how much control we have over managing our own stress through exercise, nutrition, social interactions and awareness of our emotions, and our breathing patterns.

The sympathetic nervous is system is often referred to as the “fight or flight” response. Here the brain receives stimuli that engages specific organs and their functions to make adjustments to respond to the threat of defending the individual. This could be the actions of increased eye pupil dilation to see better, dilated bronchi to bring more oxygen into the lungs and bloodstream and increased heartbeat for more blood flow to the muscles. These are the same adjustments that happen in everyday life to address normal stress in activities such as working, exercising, social interactions and others. However, the problems begin when these adjustments become the norm where the body is in a constant state of “fight or flight”. This could be looked upon similarly to having the heat and air-conditioning constantly running in the extreme direction one way or the other, all of the time, day and night, everyday. Being hot all of the time is usually not comfortable just as always be cold is not comfortable. Your body needs to adjust to your environment to find your comfort zone; your nervous system works similarly to deal with your ups and downs to find your physical as well as emotional comfort zone.

The compliment to the stress-reactive sympathetic is the “rest and digest” parasympathetic nervous system. The brain also receives stimuli to engage specific organs and their functions to make adjustments to respond to the becoming more calm and relaxed. Actions here are of decreased eye pupil dilation, constricted bronchi in the lungs and a slower heartbeat. These are the same adjustments that happen in everyday life to address normal relaxing in activities such as reading, relaxing, calm social interactions and food digestion. Too much time in this state is not healthy either as the human body needs to be able to cycle between dealing with stress and being able to relax and rejuvenate.

How Deep Breathing Affects Your Health

I write about proper breathing often. Our 1st breath as a newborn baby and the last breath before we die defines the physical human life span. Deeper breathing is a key component to having a long and healthy life. Through focused and deliberate breathing methods, many positive mental and physical benefits can be achieved.

The average person breathes 12-18 breathes per minute (BPM) during regular activity of standing, sitting & walking, engaging the sympathetic nervous system (SNS). Constant duration in the SNS dumps neurotransmitters of cortisol and norepinephrine into the blood stream putting the vital organs in a state of constant high alert and stress. Health and fitness experts suggest that 6 BPM is optimal for the lungs to properly oxygenate the whole body, balance the blood chemistry and also remove toxins. The lungs are responsible for removing 70% of the body’s waste by-products through exhalation. This is more easily accomplished through mindful breathing patterns from exercises such as mediation, qigong, tai chi and yoga. During these types of exercises, the nervous system initiates functions to secrete the happy hormones of:

Dopamine – the brain’s reward system neurotransmitter

Oxytocin – helps promote trust, empathy, nurturing, bonding in relationships

Serotonin – helps regulate mood, sleep, appetite, memory

Endorphins- our body’s natural pain reliever

Take the first letter of each hormone and you get DOSE; a healthier dose of chemicals manufactured within our bodies that make us feel better and don’t tear the body down over time like cortisol does.

Most people breathe too shallow and too quickly!

Much recent research has linked stress to poor breathing habits and consequently many ailments. Many modern chronic conditions can be traced back to insufficient cell oxygenation otherwise known as cell hypoxia.

Breathing is one of the few bodily rhythms that we can consciously adjust, along with sleep and elimination. All of these rhythms directly effect our body’s delicate blood chemistry. However, our breath is the root power in bringing oxygen (qi) into our body to nourish it down to the cellular level.

I can help. I have almost 40 years worth of experience in practicing and teaching others to take control of their health and well-being. Wellness lectures, classes, study guides & booklets.For more information, contact Jim Moltzan at 407-234-0119 or www.MindAndBodyExercises.com

Be well!

Jim Moltzan

407-234-0119

http://www.MindAndBodyExercises.com

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/https://umareg.com/masters-council/

Learning Before Earning

Learning Before Earning

Seems like a fairly simple concept, right?

For example, in the US an individual needs to go through the school system at least until 16 years old, before they can starting working to earn an income. Then one can possibly move on to trade school, college, the military or other further education to elevate their knowledge base to their next level. Or not! Some people enter into the work force, take care of family or friends, or move onto other modes of becoming what is considered a successful life. With age, knowledge and life experience, I have found that all roads basically lead to the same goals of:

Pursuing health and happiness
Living with meaning and purpose
Becoming an asset to society
Acquiring wisdom throughout one’s life

Unless someone is independently wealthy and have innate knowledge of how to manage their resources, they need to have some plan to gain the knowledge in order to achieve the above facets of life.

Review the following graphics to see a logical progression of achieving a well earned life. Learn before earn. Never stop learning; never stop earning. Invest in yourself.

Be well, stay healthy, be wise.

Can You Easily Stand on One Leg?

Can you easily stand on one leg? Why would you even care to do this?

If you can easily stand and balance on one leg for more than a few seconds, chances are you can balance even better on two legs where you spend time standing, walking, running, etc. From my research, most people do not exercise or train themselves to improve or maintain balance until an event presents itself of where the individual loses their physical balance, stumbles, and/or falls and becomes injured. Then the search begins for them to find ways to improve their balance: physical therapy, medications or even refraining from activities that are now hazardous to the individual. The following is information I have gained from my own practicing and studying of martial arts and wellness methods spanning almost 40 years. Hopefully this will put readers on a path to achieving and maintaining better balance.

The human body contains many examples of balance. We have exterior symmetry in having 2 arms, 2 legs, 2 eyes, etc. We have interior symmetry within our bodies in the way of the muscular and skeletal systems being mostly equal from left to right sides. The external body protects the internal organs, while the organs provide for the exterior. The mind governs the body while the body protects the mind. Vestibular balance is what most people think of as our spatial positioning and equilibrium in relation to standing, walking and general movement.

Let’s go into some basic anatomy and physiology relative to what allows the human body to not fall over with every movement we may execute.

Body Components Connected to Balance

Brain – the brain processes the signals from the eyes, inner ear and the sensory systems (skin, joints, muscles, nerves) of the human body.

Eyes – the eyes relate information to the brain such as spatial orientation and environmental conditions.

Inner Ear – the inner ear and the Vestibular system, regulates equilibrium while providing directional information to the brain to process.

Sensory Receptors -nerves in the joints called proprioceptors, sense vibrations that flow through joints, muscles and skin sending the information to the brain to process.

Skeletal Muscles – the muscular system provides strength and stability to the skeletal systems, while maintaining flexibility in movement.

Joints – healthy joints help form a strong foundation for the body to navigate daily activities. Vibrations in movement are transferred through the bones and muscles to the brain to process.

Factors in Maintaining Balance

Awareness – understanding where ones center of gravity sits, greatly helps to become more sensitive to correct body positioning. Also, being more observant of environmental changes such as lighting, weather, terrain, etc. can prevent loss of balance.

Focus – keeping the eyes steady, helps keep the mind focused to be able to better control the bodies fine tuning of muscle control and body positioning leading to better balance.

Muscular Strength – maintaining muscle tone contributes to having stability whether the body is in motion or stationary.

Range of Motion (flexibility) – when the limbs, muscles and joints are free to move,
it is much easier to adjust ones center of gravity to a more balanced position.

I have found and studied 2 types of balance exercises, being dynamic and static.

Dynamic Balance – maintaining stability with ones center of gravity situated outside an axis of vertical rotation, with body movement or the body in motion.

Static Balance – maintaining stability with ones center of gravity situated on an axis of vertical rotation, with little or no body movement.

Be well, stay healthy, be wise.

I can help. I have almost 40 years worth of experience in practicing and teaching others to take control of their health and well-being.

Wellness lectures, classes, study guides & booklets.For more information, contact Jim Moltzan at 407-234-0119 or www.MindAndBodyExercises.com

https://www.facebook.com/MindAndBodyExercises/

https://www.youtube.com/c/MindandBodyExercises

https://mindandbodyexercises.wordpress.com

/https://umareg.com/masters-council/

Poor Diet – A Root Cause of Illness

We really need to move beyond the thought that we can eat whatever the heck we care to, with no consequences. US Obesity is at 42% compared to 10% in 1960. What will the rate be in 2030, 50%? 100%?

What is the magic number that will wake us up that our diet, our sedentary lifestyle, our stress, our perspectives – are exactly what makes us healthy or sick?

Be well, stay healthy, be wise.

I can help. I have almost 40 years worth of experience in practicing and teaching others to take control of their health and well-being. Wellness lectures, classes, study guides & booklets.

For more information, contact Jim Moltzan at 407-234-0119 or http://www.MindAndBodyExercises.com

The 5 Pillars of Health – Things We Can Manage

We often talk about how important our mind, body, spirit, relationships, etc. are the most important things in our lives. How much time and effort do we actually put towards maintaining and improving these facets of our life?

Be well, stay healthy, be wise.

I can help. I have almost 40 years worth of experience in practicing and teaching others to take control of their health and well-being. Wellness lectures, classes, study guides & booklets.

For more information, contact Jim Moltzan at 407-234-0119 or www.MindAndBodyExercises.com