The Mind-Body Connection
I first learned about the mind-body connection, at least one facet of it, from reading bodybuilding magazines. These articles discussed how mentally focusing and visualizing the muscles you were exercising would send increased "neural drive" to those fibers, causing increased activation and response to the stimulus.
When I began working with personal training clients, I observed significant differences when they were focused on their exercise or if they were being chatty. When mentally present and in the moment, my clients would feel their muscles working significantly. However, if they were telling me about what happened that day at the office, they would finish the set feeling far less fatigue and "burn." While that may sound appealing, it meant the exercise's effectiveness was dramatically reduced, and they got less bang for their buck.
In the decades since reading those bodybuilder magazines, a lot has been learned about the mind-body connection. In this informative article from Newport Academy, different facets of the connection are discussed, including how it's impacted by Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, meditation, yoga, and nutrition.
https://www.newportacademy.com/resources/mental-health/understanding-the...
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Evangel
Interesting article, and a good reminder that our thoughts, good and bad, impact our body's health, and there are actions we can take to settle ourselves when upsets happen.
Thanks for sharing this!
Present Valley
Great and relevant post Well Street. I appreciated in the article the simple explanation of mind-body connection, the inclusion of the different modalities and the research to back up the benefits.
When I read information like this I find myself wondering how different the lives of our students (and then our society) would be if this information were taught in our schools...
I have long held the intention for that to become a possibility...one day.
Thank you for consistently bringing a variety of opportunities for wellness to the forefront for the community.
Well Street
I'm glad you found the information as interesting and informative as I did.
Slipstream
Very interesting. Confirms that we are what we think and eat so our choices are very important. To Present Valley's comment, the earlier we learn it, the better.