““Something about axial control has an impact on stress responses,” Strick reasons. “There’s all this evidence that core strengthening has an impact on stress. And when you see somebody that’s depressed or stressed out, you notice changes in their posture. When you stand up straight, it has an effect on how you project yourself and how you feel. Well, lo and behold, core muscles have an impact on stress. And I suspect that if you activate core muscles inappropriately with poor posture, that’s going to have an impact on stress.””
James Hamblin from The Atlantic has written a great article breaking down why and how movement and sensory experiences can effect our stress levels. Please read it here: http://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2016/08/cortical-adrenal-orchestra/496679/
As discussed in previous blogs, we find that most people move slightly asymmetrically. This can do a number of things, one of which is give our brains faulty sensory information. If we tend to spend more time on our right foot and get a better heel strike on that side, it can make our system feel out of balance which, according to the above article, could potentially negatively effect our stress levels.
Additionally, these asymmetrical patterns cause our bodies to move in compensated ways. One major example of this that our patients constantly report is that they will do a lot of "core work" at the gym, but feel no benefits. If our bodies are not in the right position, a lot of that lower abdominal strengthening will actually strengthen our hip flexors which can cause low back pain potentially, again via the article above, negatively effect our stress levels.
Let us help you get the most out of your body. Whether it's sporting or athletic performance, decreasing pain, improving stability and/or flexibility, or decreasing stress, we can help maximize the benefit from the activities you are actually doing.
Now get outside and take a walk!. It utilizes your core more than sitting at the computer or watching TV, and stimulates your sensory system with all of the sites, noises, and temperatures.