In sense, whats the scientific background that makes movement in general important for our well being?
In: 7
Our bodies evolved to be ~~lazy~~ efficient. Any unused muscle will weaken over time to save energy. This makes it more likely we’ll injure ourselves if we try to do something beyond our capabilities like improperly lifting something heavy.
Over time, weakened muscles can also cause issues. For example, sitting with a bad posture uses fewer muscles. If we sit too long like this, the weakened muscles make our posture worse and can lead to back or other pain.
Secondly, it’s healthy for our brains to signal our muscles to move. Elderly people who lose mobility due to disease or injury often quickly lose their mental capacity if they are not able to move around. We evolved to do things with our muscles and that is directly linked to our minds.
Lastly, exercise helps relieve stress. Stress causes the fight or flight response. If we can’t physically fight or flee, especially with the abstract anxiety that modern society causes us, the stress can last longer and cause chronic issues. Exercise provides a physical outlet for our bodies to pretend we have fought or fled from the “danger.” This helps our bodies tune down the stress response.
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