Our bodies were designed to move. Movement is like a nutrient, supporting every cell, every tissue, and every organ function to maintain optimal health. It’s a healing powerhouse for the body, mind, emotions, and spirit. It can keep us healthier, smarter, happier, and increase our mind-body awareness for greater calm and focus.
Movement and Overall Physical Health
Moderate physical activity benefits every part of our body: our lungs, our heart, our blood circulation, our muscles and joints, our bones, our internal organs, our digestion, and our metabolism. In fact it’s so important that the lack of exercise can put our overall wellness at risk over time.
But it’s not just our bodies that benefit from the power of movement. Exercise can help us in ways you might not expect.
Movement for a Healthy Mind
Did you know that the majority of the brain’s function is designed to support movement? It’s no wonder that movement not only supports physical health, but mental health and cognitive ability as well. Exercise is considered one of the best ways to prevent cognitive decline and dementia. Even movement such as doing household chores regularly reduces the chances of dementia by 21%.
The reason why exercise may help cognitive health is that it supports healthy blood circulation to the brain, which delivers oxygen and removes cellular waste. It also requires and reinforces so many brain functions: it governs balance, the production of neurotransmitters, and the communication between the brain and muscles.
Exercise even promotes neurogenesis – the building of new brain cells. That’s right! Studies show that exercise can promote growth in the hippocampus, the area of the brain that supports learning and memory. This, in turn, increases brain plasticity – the ability to learn new things.
Movement for a Better Mood
Moving your body can also make you happier! Physical activity is 1.5 times more effective than anti-depressants for reducing mild to moderate depression and anxiety. Physical activity also reduces stress and builds resilience against emotional ups and downs.
You can increase the psychological and emotional health benefits by taking your exercise and movement outdoors, incorporating the benefits of natural daylight and fresh air.
Also, regular movement helps our bodies sleep better at the end of the day. Good sleep helps both our physical and mental health as well as stabilizing our moods.
Movement and Healthy Skin
Our skin’s health relies on the health of our entire body. Skin depends on good circulation to bring oxygen, hydration, and other nutrients to replenish itself and build new skin cells. Movement can also create perspiration, a healthy skin function that can assist in carrying out waste products and keep pores clear.
The mood-stabilizing power of movement is also a benefit to those struggling with a skin condition. Stress, anxiety, and depression are both common triggers for flare-ups and common side effects of flare-ups. A program of regular exercise can keep us calm to either avoid or better manage a flare-up during our skin’s healing process. Better quality sleep, a benefit of movement, is also a boon to maintaining skin health since those with skin conditions can suffer from sleep difficulty due to pain, itching, discomfort, and anxiety a flare-up can bring.
Even a Little Bit Helps
You don’t have to start an intense running program or spend hours at the gym to benefit from movement. Actually, finding movement opportunities that you enjoy is the best way to incorporate movement into your life.
- Throw on some music and dance around the house while you do some chores.
- Take a short walk, or stretch between work projects.
- Cultivate a new hobby that takes you up off the couch and out of the house.
- Plan a vacation that incorporates a fun new activity like snorkeling in new waters or a relaxing retreat built around yoga or qigong
- Hike an easy park trail
- Amble through a new city to take in the historic sites
Think in terms of adding five or ten-minute increments here and there. Find ways to increase movement that aren’t necessarily under the umbrella of “exercise” – like shopping at outdoor markets or at neighborhood stores where you can walk around, instead of always ordering online.
Conclusion
With all of its benefits, the power of movement is like a positive feedback loop: The more you move, the better you feel, and the more you want to keep moving! Empower yourself with movement and discover the joy and benefits it delivers to every part of your life.
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About the Author
Olivia Hsu Friedman, LAc, Dipl.OM, DACM, Cert. TCMDerm, is the owner of Amethyst Holistic Skin Solutions and treats Acne, Eczema, Psoriasis, and TSW. Olivia treats patients via video conferencing using only herbal medicine. Olivia is Chair of the Board of Directors of the American Society of Acupuncturists, serves on the Advisory Board of LearnSkin, and is a faculty member of the Chicago Integrative Eczema Group sponsored by the National Eczema Association.