by Jessica Raaum Foster, NeurologyofPresence.com
As a Neuro Performance Coach, the overwhelming majority of pain or performance limitations I see in my clients stem from a LACK OF USE
Our lives have become physically convenient. We have machines that do just about everything for us at this point; and while this is certainly advantageous in many areas, our lifestyle deserves a caution label.
The original blueprint for the human brain requires MOVEMENT, and despite how advanced our Frontal Cortex has become, that fundamental design still exists. If we don’t include a healthy dose of movement in our lives, the entire organism will decline.
Neural real estate is also calorically expensive, so if you stop using a specific area, it will eventually atrophy and die to make more resources available for the parts you are using. As our world’s demand for physical activity decreases, our general health is going down with it.
So, what do we do about this? Here are three simple things you can do today that can slow neural decline!
1 LOOK UP! Thanks to our devices, most of us are clocking an inordinate amount of downward convergence (looking at something up close). Looking at something off in the distance can help reset the eyes and can have some immediate effects on anxiety, energy, and even posture.
2 Choose complex movements. If the only exercise you get is on an exercise machine, you are limiting the brain’s opportunity to respond physically in the world. Yoga, dance, martial arts, and ball sports are all practices that allow the body to move through the world in multiple planes. These stimulate the brain in important ways.
3 Stimulate your senses. Stop and smell the flowers, play beautiful music while you work, or ask for a hug. All these things can help remind your brain that you have a physical body and that it matters to you!
These suggestions may seem superficial but incorporating them into your daily life can have a significant impact on pain and performance. Your brain and body work hand in hand. If you want to take care of one, you must take care of the other.
Jessica Raaum Foster is a Neuro Performance Coach.
www.NeurologyofPresence.com, IG: @JessicaRaaumFoster, FB: @NeurologyofPresence NeurologyofPresence@gmail.com