Head, Hands and Feet

It should come as no secret that the parts of the human body that are markers of aging (deterioration), can be seen most obviously at the head, hands and feet -- rather than whether they have a "six-pack" or not.  Not only is that the least visible, but the least obvious of indicators -- until one is far gone -- at which point they become overwhelmingly obvious.  Most people don't necessarily get to that stage -- and can exhibit dysfunction at the cognitive organs of the extremities, despite seeming to be "fit" otherwise.  That is when it is most disheartening, as one also seems to be doing everything possible to prevent that slide into oblivion.

So if one were to rethink beneficial "exercise" entirely for such essential functioning and beyond, they would not focus on six-packs, biceps or even "glutes," but would directly address exercise that specifically and physically increase the benefits to the head, hands and feet -- that are famously failing despite all the cardio (heart) and "core" one can do futilely -- as a well-proven failure already, and refocus the optimalization of the exercise benefits specifically and directly to those areas well-known to fail first -- despite all one's efforts in the conventional/traditional emphasis of exercise.

That is obviously not working, and as a genius once said, "Stupidity is doing the same thing over and over again, hoping for a different result,"  Anybody who has worked with all the different populations from the very well to the very disabled, would note that the characteristic (and striking) lack of movement and functioning is at the head, hands and feet -- so much so that these groups often sit (or lie) motionless all day, for the remainder of their days -- while the heart continues to beat unfailingly.  So that is not most people's problem -- but the lack of voluntary (skeletal) movement and functioning -- that one can do something about.  

You fix what is broken, and not what continues to work well -- which paradoxically, may have gotten them into the condition they are in.  If one exercises (prioritizes the blood flow) to those body parts that are functioning well as the automatic (autonomic) -- at the expense of the voluntary, including the head, scarce resources are being diverted away from where it needs to go.  While one is young and seems to have boundless energy and resources to burn foolishly, as they get older, that abundance and limitlessness becomes more problematical -- and the astute among them realize that they have to expend those resources more judiciously, and in doing so, become older and wiser rather than the misguided notion of remaining a 20 year old forever.  That plan is not going to work.

And now it has become an endemic problem and the challenge of this age -- that needn't be, unless one stubbornly insists on it being so -- by continuing to do all the things that needn't be done, while ignoring the obvious lack of what would benefit immensely by the benefit of actual movement at these axes of rotation (movement).  That is to say quite simply and in order to increase the beneficial flow of blood and nutrients to a particular area -- requires movement and muscle contraction specifically at that axis of rotation (and movement) to optimize the flow there -- just as in developing the bicep.  Otherwise, the heart alone will not determine that flow -- but in coordination with the voluntary muscles dictating that flow there with its contraction.  

Muscle contraction is essential to that circuit because the heart alone cannot overcome the resistance into an area that has no blood flowing out of that space -- first!  That is the magic of contraction -- which is also compression -- which means to decrease the volume, and doing so, increases the motive pressure back to the heart via the venous system.  The blood coming from the heart is being pushed there by the alternating contraction/relaxation of the heart -- which is the pumping effect.  However, the vessels on the way back, have tiny valves that close to prevent a backflow -- except in the common case of older, inactive people who never contract the muscles at the extremities resulting in the loss of grip strength in the hands, lack of balance in the feet, and diminishing cognitive functioning of the brain and head organs because the normal head movements of the body have been negated by the lack of head movement -- exacerbated by staring at screens.

One of the habits of people who hear well, is that they turn their heads in the direction of the person speaking, or the approaching traffic -- rather than not looking around.  And in fact, that is how the eyes can see what is going on around them -- rather than merely relying on their brain to know what is happening -- without such movement.  Many cardio exercisers are not aware of their surroundings because they are exclusively focused on the screen in front of them.  In fact, it may even be considered "bad form" to be looking around at what is going on around them -- when in fact, that may be the most important part of any exercise and movement.

Awareness of what is going on, leads to the proper response to that environment and realities, and not just simply doing their own program -- no matter what.  And conditioning in that manner over the years, cultivates that kind of tunnel vision, and finally an increasing lack of awareness of what is going on -- and how to respond appropriately.  There is an actual physical component to reality and responsiveness -- and not simply acting from one's own thoughts of how things are -- and must be, regardless of the constant changes.

Hopefully, one is conditioning oneself to function more successfully in the world they live in -- and not simply to have one's heart continue to beat while they can no longer do anything they can for themselves anymore -- because their grip strength is gone, their foot balance is gone, their head no longer pivots to see what is going on around them anymore.  They all sit like motionless statues throughout the remainder of their days -- which can be as long as medical science can provide them in that manner.  But is that the best that can be hoped for -- or is another actuality possible?  The obvious.

The curious thing is that when one strengthens the extremities as one's priorities, it implies the rest -- but not vice-versa.  The part can not be the whole, but the whole, will easily include the part.  That requires a break from the recent trend of specialization thinking it can result in the whole, in favor of the realization that it makes much more sense to begin with the whole -- and that will include the parts, and not that one has to reinvent the wheel whenever one does something differently.

It's well known that young people operating with the heart first approach overwork the heart and die prematurely, while older champion bodybuilders preponderately die of dementias -- even while maintaining their good condition otherwise everywhere else -- but where it is vitally important to maintain that viability.  That deterioration is obvious at the axes of the head, hands and feet that no longer move -- but is prone to the swelling and dysfunction at the extremities.  Many people recognize this truth in wearing compression garments and getting massage -- because like exercise -- they produce the compressive effect that helps weak veins make up that insufficiency.

There is no reason we cannot resort to all the advances that modern civilization has afforded us -- in unrelated bits and pieces.  But it is better when we have the whole picture, and understand why things are happening because of what we are doing -- rather than in spite of all that we are doing to undermine our continued optimal functioning -- at every age and stage of life.  There's a reason things happen.

It's not crossword puzzles.