We all know that exercise is key for an overall balanced life. Along with the obvious ones of being good for your bones and muscles, boosting the immune system, and improving longevity (the buzzword of the year) exercise affects our overall nervous system too.
Both the central nervous system (the part that controls your brain and spinal cord, the center of the body) and the Peripheral nervous system (everything outside the brain and spine – connecting the CNS to the rest of the body – make sense!?) are affected by the class or fitness routine you choose to follow so choosing the right form of exercise for you is very important and can change through different stages of your life.
I have always been into exercise and tried just about every class that is out there. When I find one I like, I commit, and I’m loyal, the type of loyal you are to your hairdresser or dentist. I’m signed up for at least the year and going most days (my husband will argue I’m addictive in personality, but that’s for another time).
Most recently, I have been boxing, strength training, and spinning for the past 3 years, which I loved but this year a change of personal situation forced me to slow down, making me realise that maybe I needed to adjust the type of exercise I was doing to allow me to slow down, not just talk about it. Deciding to change your exercise routine can be both daunting and logistically difficult, and, depending on your need for exercise, it can be a change of cost, but changing to something that serves you better can help your overall outlook.
Boxing, ride, and cardio classes in general, are great for heightening your heart rate and pushing your body to its limits but they also activate your sympathetic nervous system which triggers the fight-or-flight response, leading to an increase in the release of stress hormone adrenaline and cortisol which for a lot of people is fine as the good out ways the bad but if, like me, you need to slow down but still want to exercise it’s time to embrace a slower (exercise) way of life.
Key benefits of lowering your parasympathetic Nervous system:
1. Reduces stress and anxiety
2. Lowers blood pressure and reduces the risk of heart disease
3. Promotes better sleep
4. Improves gut health
5. Reduce inflammation
6. Support immune function.
So, there I was, stopping the membership I had loyally had for 3 years to embark on a new yogi (and now Pilates) lifestyle. Yoga balances the central and peripheral nervous system while activating the parasympathetic nervous system, the one we need to reduce stress, anxiety, and relaxation. Now a regular at Shimis I mix hot yoga with some barre to improve my muscle strength, which is extremely important as we age, especially for women.
I’m three months into this new exercise routine and I am already feeling the benefits. I’m calmer after the class, I look forward to the quiet, dark time, and I sleep better. If you aren’t into yoga other forms of exercise slow you down such as walking (outdoors), Tai Chi, swimming (or anything water-based), reformer, and deep stretch classes.
Nothing needs to be forever, depending on where you are in your life or what you feel you need you can change it up but for now, I’m on the yoga train and I’m one happy passenger.
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