Movement & Health

Exercise!

We all know we need to move our bodies - that's a given. Our bodies are designed to move. Our bodies are also all unique in having a specific muscle fiber type to move a certain way. You will thrive in your exercise routine when you work with your muscle fiber type vs. against it. 

There are two types of muscle fiber - Slow Twitch & Fast Twitch 

"People have two general types of skeletal muscle fibers: slow-twitch (type I) and fast-twitch (type II). Slow-twitch muscles help enable long-endurance feats such as distance running, while fast-twitch muscles fatigue faster but are used in powerful bursts of movements like sprinting."
 

(https://www.active.com/fitness/articles/fast-twitch-vs-slow-twitch-muscles)

I personally am fast-twitch dominant. Which explains why I love lifting and interval training and am not a huge fan of running. I thrive off of intense bursts of energy and work, vs struggling with long consistent output. Its another part of knowing and understanding your body. It's not that you CAN'T or SHOULDN'T do what you're not dominant in - movement is movement and its all good - but your body does prefer one over the other and will respond more efficiently to your specific fiber type.

Interval Training.

A note on interval training. Did you know that interval training increases (by threefold) a process called BDNF synthesis in your brain that causes neurogenesis and increases cognitive function? It’s true, interval training not only burns fat and builds muscle, but it creates new neurons and the ability to be more awesome and have super power focus throughout the day! So try it - even if it’s 15 minutes- give interval training a whirl. Invest in your body & your brain.


Walking.         

Walking is one of the most over looked healthy movements for the body. Walking can literally change your body from the inside out. So don't ever think that walking isn't 'enough'. Depending on your health state, walking can be just the thing your body needs. If you're struggling with your health, and your body is under internal stress - walking is the best movement for you. 


The bottom line is - move your body. A goal for steps a day (if you can, and/or want to) is 10,000 steps. Thats a good baseline for a healthy amount of movement.  

How do you move your body? Do you have goals for different movement? Do you know what your muscle fiber type is?