Holistic movement skills are an investment that pays lifelong dividends
In the previous post, I had pointed out that movement is vital to wellbeing in multiple ways. Let me add to that now, highlighting even more ways by which regular and skillful movement benefits us.
Movement increases metabolic health. It reduces your requirement for insulin and mitigates spikes in blood sugar levels. Muscle tissue is very healthy for us (within limits, as with everything). Resistance to the action of insulin is a major problem in Type 2 diabetes, and exercise decreases that.
Of course, as we all know, movement is one of the most important factors for good cardiovascular health. Endurance training makes the heart more resilient and adaptable to loading or stress.
Movement makes our locomotor tissues more efficient over time. The same movements take less effort as we gain proficiency. This allows us to do more with ease. This is one of the reasons why exercise is useful even in heart failure. The body is able to move and do more with the same amount of circulation as it grows more efficient.
Movement reduces pain and inflammation when practiced gradually. Without movement, inflammatory metabolites tend to stagnate in the tissues and the nervous system struggles to rewire patterns of pain.
Movement improves cognition. Research suggests that running increases the cognitive ability of humans and even other mammals. Perhaps because, evolutionarily, the brain expects new territories to be reached through moving and they need to be analyzed and understood.
Movement changes how you feel in your body and thereby your sense of self too. We build a feeling of self through our bodies, not just through our mind and other senses.
Building healthful skills of movement is not just about attending an exercise session or a yoga class. We need a more holistic approach. It takes a little time and knowledge to develop the holistic skills of moving well, but the investment is worth it. It will pay dividends in wellbeing for the rest of our lives.