Blog Layout

How movement benefits the body and brain

Katie Tarling • March 31, 2023

Benefits of Exercise

Movement, is described in Dr Chatterjee‘s book, 'The 4 Pillar Plan' as one of the four key pillars of health and is one of the key pillars of health for me too. Exercise offers many benefits to us, across various aspects of our health and well-being, not just for our cardiovascular health (such as our heart and blood vessels) but offers many more wide-reaching and lesser-known benefits too.


A recent webinar hosted by the UK & International Health Coaches Association went into detail about the host of benefits we can experience, of exercising more. Benefits such as reduced chance of falls, depression, back & joint pain to name just a few. The Physical Activity Guidelines produced by the government are really positive, indicating the huge benefits of just doing a little more movement in our day - every minute counts.




In the fantastic Matt Walker podcast, you can learn how the benefits of exercise extend to improving our sleep. He cites various research projects, demonstrating the improvements in sleep, linked to exercise. As we age it appears that the amount of exercise required in order to enjoy the sleep benefits reduces. When we are younger a more intense exercise session might be needed whereas in our later years, more gentle sessions may be enough to positively impact our sleep. This is reassuring, and if you’re looking for a gentle way to start introducing some movement into your regular weekly schedule then perhaps consider joining a Pilates class.


photo of a comfy bed

Brain health

Neuroscientist Dr Wendy Suzuki, author of 'Healthy Brain, Happy Life: A Personal Program to Activate Your Brain and Do Everything Better', explains how moving the body produces chemical structures such as dopamine and growth factors, which can improve our brain health. Such substances may improve our focus, productivity, happiness and boost our mood as she explained in a fantastic episode of the 'Feel Better Live More' podcast a few months ago.


Muscles and bones

By exercising in certain ways we can, not only stimulate muscle mass, but we can also stimulate bone mass – these two are closely interlinked. A muscle contraction pulls on a bone and that pulling force can stimulate the bone to become stronger. Both bone and muscle mass naturally start to decline from around the age of 30-40 and thus exercising becomes more important to counter-act that natural decline. This is important because as we age, and our muscle mass decreases, our ability to carry out activities of daily life can be impacted, such as climbing stairs, doing up shoes and getting on & off the floor. However, it can also impact our risk of a fall. Bone fractures are something we would all want to avoid, particularly in our later years as this can have a big impact on our ability to return to independent living. 



The following quotes are taken from the UK Chief Medical Officers' Physical Activity Guidelines mentioned earlier


'The value to older adults of activities which improve strength, balance and flexibility cannot be overstated'....'These components of fitness help maintain physical function, reduce the risk of falls, and help people feel more confident and able to meet the MVPA guidelines'


Therefore, I try to incorporate movements during my Pilates classes aimed at improving balance reactions, muscle strength and power, as well as bone health too. Although a resistance workout in the gym might be optimal for some people, this might not suit everyone, especially those who are relatively new to exercise in their mid-older adult lives, and therefore a gentler way to start might be a Pilates class.


Stress

Exercise is also a fantastic way to manage the stress levels that build up in our body throughout our daily lives. Stress is something I help people to manage through my Pilates classes and also through my Breathwork workshops. I try and take a walk most days, when I can, which I find almost always lifts my mood and gives me a chance to feel gratitude for the natural beauty around me.  I usually find something, whilst out in nature, to pause and take in, enhancing the benefits of the walk itself.


One reason that exercise might help reduce stress is linked to our evolution. We are programmed to fight or flee when we perceive danger, and so the body expects to move when in a state of stress. However, the 'danger' in modern times (for those of us fortunate enough to be living free from fear of imminent real danger), is more likely to be triggered by a difficult conversation, an email or tweet that upsets us, or just the build-up of demands on our limited time each day. These modern-day, everyday, 'threats' don't require us to run away, or to fight for our lives, but if we can build some movement into our day, we can help to mitigate against the build-up of stress in the body.

photo of purple flowers in a beautiful garden

I like to imagine a bathtub, where the water represents the stress. Each time an untoward event happens, or another demand is placed upon us and our limited time, the tap turns on and the bath fills a little more. I view exercise as a way of lifting the plug and draining away some of the stress that's collected in the bath. 

If we don't have any habits in place such as:-

  • exercise
  • meditation
  • Breathwork
  • Pilates
  • dancing
  • music
  • knitting
  • singing

or whatever it might be for you, then the tub continues to fill until we find the bath overflowing. This might be observed as us struggling to be reasonable, perhaps snapping at a loved one or perhaps inwardly fuming. None of these outcomes is ideal, so I think it's important to have one or two habits in place most days, to help lift the plug and drain out some stress - what has that effect for you? I love walking in beautiful gardens like this one. 

Metabolic health

Exercise is also closely linked with our metabolic health, and in particular our ability to manage our blood sugar levels. When we exercise, the moving muscles demand an increased oxygen supply, but also an increased supply of fuel in the form of glucose from sugar, and thus exercising can be a good way for us to encourage improved metabolic health and the maintenance of optimal blood sugar levels.


What about motivation?

How can we get ourselves to move more when we're programmed to conserve energy?

Daniel Lieberman, in his fantastic book 'Exercised', discusses the unfortunate paradox that modern humans find themselves in. We evolved to require lifelong physical activity for optimal function, however our minds never evolved to get us moving, unless it's rewarding, enjoyable, or necessary. Thus, in order to boost our motivation to get our bodies moving more, he recommends finding an activity that is either necessary, enjoyable, or rewarding. 


This explains how my friend and I have managed to maintain an (almost) weekly 5Km run for a year, even though neither of us really enjoys running, because the chatting all the way round makes it rewarding and pleasurable, and it becomes necessary when the other is expecting us to show up! This might also be why some of my Pilates participants have been attending my classes weekly for many years and are still enjoying it now, because it's fun and rewarding, and by paying upfront for a block, also becomes somewhat necessary! Can you think of ways in which to utilise this idea to help you to start getting a little more movement into your day? 


Is it too late?

And as for thinking that we may have left it too late to start, Daniel Lieberman suggests that it's almost never too late to benefit from becoming fitter, but that the key lies in finding an activity we actually want to participate in. If you're considering becoming much more physically active, medical advice should be sought before getting started, especially if you are fairly sedentary and /or have medical conditions that could be made worse by it. Please note these articles are for information and interest only and are neither advice nor instruction. No liability accepted. 


What is collective effervescence?

Dr Chatterjee, on his Feel Better Live More podcast in discussion with Dr Dacher Keltner, mentions the benefits of feeling awe, and that one mechanism for this amazing feel-good feeling is found during collective movement. It's known as collective effervescence, and it occurs when people are moving together with a shared awareness or consciousness. They discuss how yoga (and therefore I assume Pilates) might stimulate this effect in people, enhancing the benefits of the movement itself to include calming inflammation, stimulating the vagus nerve and helping to reduce stress. I know I feel great when I'm looking around the room at all my lovely participants all moving together and striving for a similar movement goal. We even manage to all move the same arm and leg at the same time occasionally, but not that often!!


Ready to join a Pilates class?

If you're keen to start moving your body in a gentle, controlled way, led by an instructor with a Physiotherapy degree, perhaps you might consider joining a regular weekly Pilates class at Hook Community Centre. Can’t wait to hear from you! Click here to contact me with any queries, or to book your place. Further class details can be found here


Share by: