Archive for September, 2010
The Importance of Rhythm When Walking
The next time you go for a walk take the time to notice how many people do not walk with rhythm? Their arms are swinging out too far; they are taking awkward steps in moving their feet or they are looking down as they take their steps. Their whole body is out of a rhythm.
Why is it important to have a body rhythm when you walk? When a person holds their head straight and laying softly on their shoulders, swinging their arms in a rhythm without any effort the feet will follow. A walker has the flow of rhythm at that time. Your spine is happy because you have the proper posture in walking. Until you have felt the rhythm of a good walk in your own muscles, and the physical activity of a brisk walkout in your own mind and body, you do not know what you have been missing. I know when I get the rhythm going I am able to step quicker giving me speed and a comfortable posture; which causes no pain. It is also important to get the right shoes and socks when you venture out to work on your body rhythm.
Circadian Rhythms – How Your Circadian Rhythm Creates Jet Lag
The old adage “early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy wealthy and wise” could offer a deeper insight than once thought. If you have ever woken up a minute before your alarm clock went off or randomly guessed the time and you were right in those moments your body’s natural rhythms were in perfect harmony with your environment. The body circadian rhythms, commonly referred to as your biological clock, is a highly evolved system in the human body that does much more than just give you sense of the time. This natural rhythm is most important to understand in the modern day world as transportation technology now has the ability to dramatically alter the natural indicators that keep these rhythms in harmony.
The body’s circadian rhythm is the control system that regulates when and how you get hungry, digest your food, produce urine and bowel movements, you regulate your blood pressure and body temperature. With so many critical bodily functions so closely intertwined to these rhythms you can begin to see why any disruption could create symptoms of illness. The crossing of multiple time zones when traveling creates a new environment that your body will be forced to synchronize all of these behaviors and functions to. This unhinging of your natural time tables and body cycles is what is then experienced as Jet Lag.
Keep Your Circadian Rhythm Happy And Sleep Tight
If you have ever experienced the effects of jet lag, or felt very tired after working rotating shifts during the week, then what you have technically experienced is your body’s circadian rhythm has been adversely affected.
The word circadian comes from the Latin words ‘circa’ and ‘diem’ which translated into English, means about a day. But as far as your body is concerned, one day simply refers to a 24-hour period.