It's not too late!
Every single system adapts!
Last Thursday, we talked about Bioplasticity in Chapter 16: Rethinking Pain. The idea is every single system in the human body will adapt itself to respond to the demands placed upon it.
Lift heavy things, your muscular system will adapt to this new demand. You will get stronger.
Exercise, think walking, running, swimming, or biking, your cardiovascular system will adapt to this demand. Your heart will get stronger, the walls of the heart get thicker, and pumping blood to your body becomes more efficient.
Your bones get stronger and thicker with the demands and load placed on them. Weightbearing exercise and lifting weights are examples of how the skeletal system adapts. And the opposite is true, thinner and weaker bones with less load or demands to the skeletal system.
Even think of your skin, the integumentary system, what changes do you see? For me, I see the toughening of skin on my feet, well-used and well-traveled.
These are examples of bioplasticity, basically adaptation. This is great news because if we want to get stronger, improve our heart health, or bone health, it’s up to us.
The human body will change based on the demands placed on it and it’s all the systems of the body not just the brain (neuroplasticity). It’s never too late. All our systems will continue to adapt until our last breath.
When I learned of this idea my pain experience changed. I began again, placing the demands that my body needed at my pace. I went from the dark side of bioplasticity to the light! I began lifting and running again. I gradually returned to my yoga practice, getting braver with every movement and breath.
What demand does your body need?
Poem of the Day:
Change
Great news we adapt Bioplasticity YES! Lift, Run, Walk or Swim You get to decide What demand is right for you To see the change, Go!