
In this week’s blog I hope to encourage you to make room in your schedule and in your life for a movement practice. You are so worth it!
Over the years and many lifestyle changes I have seen the best of my health and the worst of my health and I hope that I have more healthy years remaining. This past March I turned into another decade but was so slammed at my day job I didn’t get to celebrate, that will come later next month I pray. What I had to learn the hard way and what I now know is that I want to keep a regular and engaging movement practice in my life. As I age, I’ve learned that when I allow other things to get in the way of moving regularly it is so difficult to get started back again. I’ve been back in the gym for the past year but I did suffer a foot injury and had a really hard time getting back to where I needed to be. I had to listen to my doctor and put my foot & leg in a boot, get a handicap decal and do all the right things to help it heal correctly. Once out of the boot I went back to the gym and vowed to never let that happen again! LOL.
Studies have shown that including a regular movement practice into your life has numerous benefits!
Stimulates Synovial Fluid Production: The joints are surrounded by a synovial membrane that produces a lubricating fluid called synovial fluid. Physical activity stimulates the production of this fluid, allowing the bones to move past each other more smoothly and preventing stiffness.[1][2]
Promotes Circulation of Nutrients: Weight-bearing movement practices forces water molecules out of the cartilage like a sponge, and when the weight is lifted, the water molecules return, bringing oxygen and nutrients the cartilage needs to stay healthy.[2]
Increases Blood Flow: Movement practices increases blood circulation throughout the body, including to the joints. This exposes the synovial membrane to a steady supply of nourishing oxygen and nutrients vital for repair and maintenance.[2][4]
Facilitates Fluid Movement: The more you move, the more lubrication moves through your joints. Movements like gentle warm-ups before starting your movement routine helps activate the lubricating fluids.[1]
Additionally, and I believe most importantly, is to have a regular movement practice which ultimately benefits our lymphatic system and the lymphatic system it is a vital component of our immune system! The lymphatic system serves several crucial purposes in maintaining our body's health and immunity:
Fluid balance: It removes excess fluid, proteins, and waste products from tissues and returns them to the bloodstream, preventing fluid buildup (edema) in the body's tissues.[6][8]
Immune defense: The lymph nodes and lymphatic organs like the spleen, thymus, and tonsils contain lymphocytes (white blood cells) that fight infections by attacking and destroying bacteria, viruses, damaged cells, and cancer cells.[6][7][9]
Fat absorption: The lymphatic system plays a role in absorbing fats and fat-soluble vitamins from the digestive system and transporting them into the bloodstream.[6][8]
Blood filtration: The spleen filters the blood, removing old and damaged red blood cells and replacing them with new ones produced in the bone marrow.[7][9]
Waste removal: The lymphatic system helps remove toxins, carbon dioxide, and other metabolic waste products from the body.[9]
Noteworthy!! is to know that our heart muscle doesn’t pump the lymphatic system, like it does our circulatory (blood) system. Therefore, our lymphatic system solely relies on an outside stimulus to make it move. This means us doing regular physical movement, dry brushing, massage therapy to name a few, but the best and most cost effective (and rewarding) way is to create our own movement practice that is sustainable (functionable and enjoyable) for the rest of our life, it is a must! You got this, grab a partner, friend, family member or use your cell phone reminder and create a movement practice for your self-care routine!
As a gentle reminder in the blog: Having a regular movement practice, especially weight-bearing and low-impact activities, helps pump nutrient-rich fluids into and out of the cartilage, lubricating the joints and keeping them healthy [2][3][4]. It is most important to remember that by you incorporating a regular movement practice in your life, will tremendously help your lymphatic system perform its function which is to support our vital component the immune system; maintain our fluid homeostasis; enable fat absorption; filter our blood, and eliminate waste products and pathogens from the body [6][7][8][9].
Dr. Tee
To Your Best Health
14 June 2024
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