How Exercise Prevents Dementias

 Specifically, most contemporary people’s neck muscles atrophy for lack of head movement — and muscular development is indicative of enhanced circulation that makes that development and functioning possible.

The weakness of the circulatory system is generally not the heart pumping blood out to the tissues (extremities) but in the skeletal muscles pumping the blood (fluids) back towards the heart — with alternating muscular contractions and relaxations just as the heart is effective as a pump. That is why exercise stimulates positive effects — but more particularly, they have to specifically exercise moving the head — or turning the head all the way to the right and all the way to the left — which people don’t tend to do even on an exercise bike or treadmill.

So while their hearts may go on pumping vigorously, many people’s brains will die for the lack of that proper movement (circulation) at the head — which is very indicative of the circulation to those areas. Circulation is not equal to all parts of the body but is dependent to the greater extent on the muscle contractions at the extremities of the head, hands and feet notable throughout history as the weakness of the human body.

So the paradigm of merely pumping the blood more vigorously from the heart won’t help as much as pumping the blood and fluids specifically from the extremities of the head, hands and feet — which are overlooked entirely by the exercise professionals as well as doctors and researchers — all who display this notable atrophy and deterioration at those sites — even as much as they exercise conventionally.

In order for exercise to specificaly benefit those critically important organs of the human body (cognition, grip strength, balance), the movement (contraction) has to begin at the insertions at the extremities — to improve that circulation and reduce the inflammation resulting from that accumulation and retention at those extremities, which begins with the proper understanding of the circulatory process and functioning to be most effective.

What most people fail to differentiate is that the blood vessels coming from the heart to the extremities (arteriole) are smooth and effected by the heart action (pump) — while the blood vessels from the extremities (veins) are no longer driven by the action of the heart but instead have valves that prevent backflow. Thus, the major thrust is provided by voluntary muscular action — beginning at the insertion of the muscle specifically contracted — and thus the meaningful movement in this, is the axis of rotation at the furthest extremity activated — which is minimal by those doing most conventional “cardio” exercises.

All they are doing is making the heart work harder — into the resistance produced by the blood (fluids) that are not flushed out by the voluntary muscular contractions, which is also compression — and why compression garments also have this same effect of aiding the outflow of inflammation (fluids) back towards the purifying and recycling organs of the body.

By evacuating the fluids in this fashion, one creates the space for the new blood and fluids to enter — while simply causing the heart to work infinitely harder into this resistance, merely enlarges the heart, while doing very little for producing a healthier environment to maintain health and functioning in the tissues. Movement affects circulation in this way — and not simply by increasing the heart rate measurement to sell more heart rate measuring devices and machinery.

There is no increased effort (exertion) that will not automatically (autonomically) increase the heart rate, and so is redundant — and even counterproductive if the skeletal muscles are disengaged and inactivated — as is the case in most “cardio” exercises. Note particularly the lack of head movement while one is on an exercise bike — or treadmill. The same can be said for the absence of articulation at the wrist joint, and minimal articulation at best at the ankle.

The full range movement (articulation) is what produces a full contraction and a full relaxation — just as the heart works as the primary pump of the body. But realizing that, one can make that objective the primary purpose of all one’s exercises — and not lifting weights, running faster, jumping higher, and all those high-impact activities that make it increasingly prohibitive especially to older people.

Rather, one should rethink exercise and the purpose of it to accentuate the positives and eliminate the negatives — instead of the opposite as is the “conventional wisdom.” It’s time to move into the Space Age rather than maintaining progress through the miracle of brute force.

The problem with most people’s weight-training is that they are instructed to use as heavy a weight as possible — which usually comes at the expense of the range of motion. The heavier the weight, the more one will limit the range of movement — so as to be able to “complete” the few repetitions they rationalize to compensate for the increased resistance.

Hardly anybody I’ve witnessed articulates the full range of movement — because that would mean achieving the fullest relaxation alternated with the fullest contraction. Instead, what most do to complete their few reps, is to maintain a constant contraction and achieve movement through leverage and momentum — rather than changing muscle states. Predictably, they “fail” in a few repetitions because not changing muscle states results in cardiovascular failure — as one is not breathing but working on that reserve built up resting between sets. That’s why that style of exercise is not considered aerobic — which is with breathing as the enabler.

In contrast, what is considered “aerobic” exercise, is an activity that can be sustained for a prolonged period of time. That can be achieved by lowering the muscular demands so that it does not increase the circulation through the muscles — and thus they exhibit no muscular development by enhancing those pathways typical of the cardio exercisers — and thus the additional requirement to lift weights.

The objective of beneficial exercise is to increase the circulation through the musculature and all the other organs of the body — and not just to the heart. That is well provided for by millions of years of evolutionary development — in all animals, regardless of whether they’ve heard of “aerobic exercise” and treadmills — or not. If the primary importance is placed on the full articulation of range and the accompanying contractile states, that produces flow in the doing of it.

Otherwise, the fluids stagnate, and produce the conditions of edema, lymphedema, lipedemia — which are the markers of impending disease and dysfunction.

Articulating the Fullest Range of Movement

 "Articulating the Fullest Range of Movement" -- most people presume to know what that is, and then proceed to demonstrate that they have no idea what it is -- and have no intention of finding out.  But that is ultimately the whole purpose of exercise and practice -- to discover that ultimate possibilities of that expression in oneself, and thus I stress the importance of the head, hands and feet in doing so -- which are the organs of expression in every human activity.

That is what distinguishes performance in every arena of movement -- from the smile, to the gesture, and the leap.  Most are aware of the gross movement -- but the trained eye, is focused on out to the finger tips -- which most don't even think can be controlled.  Instead, they think of those ends (extremities) as clubs, stumps, and hard objects for striking another's head -- rather than the unique qualities that make a person human.  

Why are humans unique as a species?  It is because of their distinctively large brains, ability to grasp and make tools, and the upright posture and movements possible with that.  Those are the distinctive human qualities that everyone is born with -- and hopes to accentuate to some proficient degree in their lives.  

That might be as an artist, musician, writer, actor, obviously, but not so obviously in movement and athletics, where the gross movements seem to overpower the finer, but every coach knows that those ultimately make the difference between the best and everybody else.

The prima ballerina dances with her toes, fingers, and head -- while mere mortals struggle with the grossest of movements -- just to lift a foot off the ground while maintaining their balance.  Such people invariably have to be gifted from birth -- and smart coaches can pick them out of a crowd.  Without that advantage, all their efforts may be in vain, and what they have learned throughout their many years of involvement with their activity, is to recognize the gifted over all the rest, and work with them as much as possible because they have unlimited potential.  

But still, one will begin with the basics -- which is seeing the range of motion and expression that individual has from the start -- and then cultivate and expand those expressions beyond anything seen before.

The unknowing person may think there is something wrong with that individual because they aren't doing what everybody else is doing -- and doesn't suspect that that is what nobody else can do.  To the doctrinaire mind, that is just "wrong," because nobody can do that, or should be allowed to -- because that is not normal, and the average.  Needless to say, such "instructors" have a short and difficult time in the activity of their "expertise" -- mired in the back of the pack with no path forward.

They may even have no idea which direction they are heading -- but are merely conditioned to follow the pack.

Therefore, the immensely gifted must be guided by their own parameters and not simply competing with all the others with the same skillset and limitations.  But if one is limited by what they see the average doing, that may not be enough to achieve their own ultimate possibilities.  Discovering the fullest range of one's own movement (articulation) is the key to discovering the possibilities of their unique life -- and where that will take them.

So that process is not incidental but integral -- and more important than learning "what everybody" knows -- which may not be true at all.  And that is why many fail while thinking they are doing all the right things -- but getting no (desired) results.  Obviously what they know is wrong -- at least for them, and what there may be is a greater truth beyond the accepted "conventional wisdom" -- that isn't working for most people.

It was always intended that everyone ultimately be their own best guide -- while learning from everyone and everything.  Of course there will always be those who volunteer themselves as the only true disciples of the collective wisdom of humanity -- and now work as "fact-checkers" to ensure that conformity.  They are the self-appointed exclusive guardians of the known -- or ancient wisdom -- referred biblically as the "Pharisees and the Scribes."  They know everything -- for all time.

So when any new insights arise, they are first to battle and suppress, and defend the ancient wisdom as all that can be known.  Everything else is heresy and a sacrilege -- even on the frontiers of conquering old age and what makes it so.  Obviously, everything that has been tried, has not worked -- or there wouldn't be this obsessive industry in search of immortality -- which of course is life without limits.  But obviously there are limits -- and discovering and extending that range is a life lived well enough.

It is much easier just to talk about immortality and infinity as the ultimate limits -- because then one does not have to bother with actually finding out what those are.  One does not have to talk or make any real sense.  Nothing has to verified in one's lifetime -- because given eternity, anything could possibly be true.

But when we accept our own mortality, all we can do is make the best of it -- for however long it lasts.  And that is a life well-lived.  That practice, makes perfect -- and not the endless treadmill -- thinking the objective in life, is to consume and burn as many calories as possible -- as an end in itself.