What if you could take a magic pill that would help you prevent disease, illness, injury, maintain positive feelings and calmness, keep you stable mentally and emotionally AND ultimately create the strongest, healthiest version of yourself? And this magic pill might actually prevent you from staying off all other medicine and pills that have potential negative side effects! WOW! That would be awesome! Would you be on board to give it a try?
I think the answer for most people would be YES!
The truth is most people WANT to be as HEALTHY as they can and have longevity on this earth, however, in our current society, it’s the hardest it’s ever been!
As a society, generally speaking we work too much, eat too much, eat poorly, sit too much, don’t sleep enough, don’t meditate, watch too much TV and do too little or too much exercise.
There is one simple little change, however, that has the power to do all that I mentioned above. Sooo, DRUM ROLL please BBDDDDDddddddddddd…….
It’s MOVEMENT, also known sometimes as exercise, working out or training!
Our ancestors simply called it LIVING! (More on that in another article)
That’s right, done properly, MOVEMENT is Medicine!!! In fact, it’s one of the original medicines!
“Medicine” comes from the Latin medeor or medicor, verbs meaning to heal or cure, or having healing or curative properties.
So let’s look at this MAGIC MEDICINE that can help you keep the doctors and pharmaceuticals away and createst the healthiest version of yourself!
To do this, I’ll be using the 7 major components of my Educator, Paul Chek, called “Movement as Medicine.”
Each one of these topics could easily be an individual article on its own, but let’s take a quick look and summary at each one and how it provides healing medicine power to the mind and body:
#1 – Breathing – The single most essential function to our survival! We can survive without food and water, but we cannot survive with oxygen. Proper breathing (key word – Proper) brings life force energy to the entire body, including organs, spinal joints, blood, heart, brain, lymphatic system and much more. This all keeps your immune system strong and your body clean.
The average person takes 25,900 breaths a day. If you’re breathing incorrectly, you’re disrupting the flow into the glands, organs or tissues of the body. Without a normal rhythm you can potentially be stuck in the sympathetic system, or the fight or flight which is one of the primary factors for disease and illness.
# 2 – Mobilization – Did you know that EVERY joint in the body can have an impact on another joint in the body? A pain in one area of your body, may actually be a result from a problem in another part of your body. That seems strange for a lot of people to consider since our paradigm has created a very myopic view of pain and injury. They often forget that the human body is a system of systems that functions in synchronicity in order to maintain homeostasis. If you’re sitting regularly and not keeping your joints mobile, you will create stagnation and lack of energy flow, blood flow, nutrients and oxygen to the cartilage, tissues, muscles, fascia and organs. A blockage in one part of your body will cause a host of issues in the rest of your body and simple mobility exercises everyday can be very preventative.
# 3 Stretching – Greatly overlooked and often skipped by the average person working out regularly is stretching. The number one priority before beginning any strength program or workout regimen is flexibility. If you’re like the tin man, have poor posture or no core strength and you start lifting weights, you are setting yourself up for serious injury and possible illness for many reasons. Stretching has many benefits to the muscles, connective tissues, joints, fluids and cells and thus overall the entire system. Stretching also allows for a more calming and parasympathetic movement that will help overall function in the body and proper energy flow throughout. Just like you don’t want a stagnant pond in your backyard, you don’t want stagnant energy in your body or muscles.
#4 – Stabilization – This is largely unknown in our mainstream world as it relates to movement, but it affects the entirety of our body including the organs, muscles, spine, central nervous system, psyche and more. Chek’s definition of stabilization is “the ability to contain and conduct the flow of information. If you are unstable in your musculoskeletal system, you cannot conduct the energy and information properly.” Let’s use just one component of stabilization that can really keep your attention – your CORE. Most people think of just the core as “ 6-pack ABS” but it is so much more than that; it protects your central nervous system and stores and protects your internal organs, it provides circulatory support and is the foundation for all movement. If you’ve got improper core function, you have more potential for back pain and injury. It’s very uncommon for a knee, shoulder or ankle injury to happen if you’ve got a properly functioning core.
#5 – Working IN – Also known as ENERGIZING exercises. Many people think that when they workout, they’re getting stronger, faster and gaining energy because they feel great and see results. However, you’re actually depleting your energy stores, lowering your immune system and breaking down the bone, muscles, tissue, fascia, etc. It’s only through proper nutrition, hydration and adequate rest and recovery that we actually see results! Working-in is an alternative to working out that builds energy, using movement and breath, typically in a slower and more concentrated fashion. These exercises create life force energy and pump the human body. In addition, these movements can also be utilized to target specific organs and functions of the body related to your chakras and emotional issues. WOW! In particular, one area that working in can help people is with their digestion and this seems to be an area that many people struggle with. Gut and digestion problems are always indicators that the body is out of homeostasis.
#6 – Working OUT – Working out is catabolic or stress to the body. While it is a necessary —> we need stress to grow —-> it can also break us down and make us sick or injured if done too much. Without a well designed workout with “load” or weight, we cannot build muscle or bone. As long as all of the other 6 components of this formula are acknowledged and implemented properly, working out can be a great way to lower your blood pressure, maintain your weight, prevent osteoporosis, build lean muscle, help maintain your blood sugar levels, prevent injury, keep your mood stable, help you sleep and can also be a way to help you find fun and community in your life.
#7 – Essential Program Design Factors – Here are some additional things to consider for yourself when creating our own Magic Medicine movement program:
- Time – How much time realistically do you have in your schedule. Less is more. If you overdo it, you’re just leading toward more injury and illness.
- Energy – How much energy do you have? If you’re tired because you work too much, drink too much, eat poorly and don’t drink water, maybe working in is better for you and all your body can handle and that’s okay!
- Willingness – Have you created your goal, your purpose, your dream or worked with a coach to help you figure this out. THIS is essential BEFORE you even start!
- Finances – Finding a good trainer or coach can be the key to long term success and injury prevention, however, if that’s not an option for you, there are many options to explore. Doing something is often better than nothing.
- Equipment – You don’t need equipment but there are times that it is very helpful. If you’re not working out at a gym or with a trainer, do some research about some possible equipment to use for yourself. Simple is better and keeping it to functional movements – or the 7 primal patterns – is best.
Now, If you really are just looking for a pill or pills that “help” you, see your doctor. Big pharma has a lot of pills that can put a bandaid on this issue without getting to the root of the problem and usually come with possible short term and long term side effects. Using the definition of medicine above, however, pills do not heal or cure, they simply hinder finding out what caused the issue in the first place. 😉
If you’re looking to create some Magic Medicine with movement in your life, we’ve got room for 3 new clients. Email earthfitnf@gmail.com today to set up your Free Phone Consultation!
