Brain-Based Ankle Circles

A Harvard study recently demonstrated that exercise helps build immunity.   (Click on the sentence to read the study). At a time like now, it’s important that everyone do what they can to stay strong and healthy and studies indicate that staying active helps.

MOVEMENT IS LIFE!!!

Dr. Cobb of Z-Health built a brain-based system around movement and I have to agree with him; a lot of problems can be solved simply by moving.  Besides, we were made to move. Our nervous systems were built to perform and survival of the fittest begins with movement.  Let's move that body!

A body at rest tends to stay at rest so we have to make a conscious effort to move.  Personally, I always feel better once I get going.  99% of working out is showing up for the session!   That’s where my training can help you!  In neurology, little things add up to big things.  It’s the same with movement; little movements add up to big things.

Let’s do ankle circles today.  These are awesome for foot and ankle mobility. which is essential in any fall prevention program because the ankle is the first joint to come in contact with an uneven surface.  The more flexible the ankle, the less likely a person is to get injured.  If the ankle is used to bending and twisting in all directions, there is less risk of injury if ankle is twisted during life activities.

Brain-based ankle circles are different.  These are not the regular, boring ankle circles that you do without paying any attention to what you’re doing. You know what I mean, when the instructor says, “let’s do some ankle circles” and you sit there and look around the room.  That's the WRONG WAY TO DO ankle circles. 

I want you to stay engaged. Activate your brain.  In order to do that, you have to pay attention to what you’re doing AND how you're doing it!  The brain loves stimulation so it helps if movements are novel (new) and somewhat challenging.

Follow along with me and let’s do some ankle circles.  3 in each direction.  3 different foot positions.  

Stay engaged.  

Yes, I want to read your book, ABCs of Balance!

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Arthritis and Balance Training

Whenever I ask my group classes, "Who has arthritis?" the common response is laughter and the retort, "Who doesn't?".  Yes it's true as we age, our joints undergo more wear and tear and the likelihood of developing osteo-arthritis increases.  Osteoarthritis results from 'overuse' of joints throughout life and as a result, joints become stiff and movement can be painful.

More and more scientific research articles are showing the direct link between diet, inflammation and arthritis.  Study after study shows that if a person eats the so-called 'heart-healthy' fats, polyunstaturated fatty acids to be exact, inflammation increases and cases of arthritis and diabetes increases.

To reduce likelihood of arthritis or manage symptoms, a person needs to eliminate PUFAs (cheap vegetable oils like canola, safflower and corn oil) from the diet and eat more saturated fats such as coconut oil.    I'm not a nutritionist but I am brain practitioner.  I study what's needed for a healthy metabolism and optimal energy production.

Because this blog is about arthritis, I wanted to first address what you're putting in your mouth.  Don't eat nuts, nut butters and nut oils.  Stay away from polyunsaturated fatty acids, PUFA, as they increase inflammation and pain.  Here's a link to one scientific article explaining the ramifications of eating polyunsaturated fatty acids:  LINK TO PUFA DANGERS

In addition to eating healthy,  it's important that a person with arthritis start moving those joints.   The Arthritis Foundation states the best line of action is to strengthen the muscles that surround and support each joint for less painful movement.

As a Z-Health Brain Practitioner, I believe that movement is the remedy for most all complaints.  If you move better, you feel better.  When talking about joints (where bones meet), movement produces synovial fluid.  Synovial fluid is the "feel good juice" produced when joint move because it actually changes the biochemistry of the blood.

Without movement, cartilage and bones suck up all the synovial fluid.  The result is excruciating pain with movement.  For reduced pain, keep the joints moving to produce those feel good juices.

I'm not saying joint mobility will cure arthritis but moving those joints can increase synovial fluid and make movement less painful.  Consistent movement reduces pain but you have to move the joints enough to reap the benefits.

Please keep your joints moving.  Think circles, in both directions. Avoid PUFA at all costs and don't give up.  Movement is life and it's time to start living.

Your Brain's Movement Maps

Your brain controls how much each joint moves.  Our joints have receptors in them that tell the brain about things like location, pressure, and temperature.  This joint-receptor input forms a three-dimensional map of the body.

This 3-D map is located in the brain and this is known as the third sensory system called proprioception.  This spatial awareness is how your brain knows where your body is in space at all times.  The better your brain's map of the body, the better your movement.

Conversely, if you don't move a body part, the brain's map for that area is "blurry".  If you were injured and didn't rehabilitate 100 percent (which is defined as the ability to move a joint in all ranges of motions at all speeds), then your brain's map of that injured area is blurry.

As a result, when your brain has to move the previously injured area, movement might be choppy, ratchety, spastic, or rushed.  These types of movement indicate poor mapping, an indication that your brain doesn't know how to move an area.

The better the brain's map of the body, the more smooth and efficient the movement.  Think about a highway.   You can go fast on well-traveled roads.  Similarly, when you repeatedly practice a movement, your body (and brain) get really good at that movement.  

Practice makes perfect but you need to practice perfect.  That's because your body gets good at whatever it does, exactly how it does it.  This is known as the SAID principle or specific adaptations to imposed demands.  You get good at whatever you do, exactly how you do it.

For that reason, you want to practice all movements in good form or your body will get good at bad movement.   Your brain's mapping of the body is dependent on many other neurological factors but for this blog, just know that all movement is planned and controlled by your brain and your brain depends on receptor input to know where the body is in space.  

Take-aways:

• Your brain can forget how to move a body part if you don't move it.   
• Practice moving each joint in all directions at all speeds.  
• The better the brain's map of the body, the better your movement