Here at RBF Studio, we believe that movement makes a difference, and if you have hit our home page, you'll know that we even adopted it as a motto. However, what does that even mean? What exactly about movement makes it matter? Well, in this article we'll explore just a few of the amazing benefits to one's health and wellness that movement provides.
Mental Health
Throughout the span of one's life movement plays a crucial role in brain development and maintenance. For the infant or toddler movement helps develop spatial awareness and strengthens neural pathways. In the aging adult movement stimulates the mind and increases cognition. As many of us know firsthand, after moderate to intense physical activity we often feel more positive emotionally and may even get a better night's sleep. This is certainly no coincidence! During physical activity our brains are flooded with dopamine, pain reducing endorphins, norepinephrine, serotonin and BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor) which helps build and repair neurons in the brain. With regular physical activity these hormones help maintain a healthy and happy brain.
Physical Health
At RBF we don't put much focus on the effects of regular physical activity in regard to body weight as it's a rather imprecise metric of one's wellbeing. However, there is no denying that moving more improves muscle tone, increases fat burn and can result in weight loss. What is even better than that though is how regular physical activity can reduce one's risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer and diabetes. With heart disease and stroke being the number 1 cause of death in Americans it makes sense to move more! In addition, regular resistance training helps with bone density by keeping muscles, ligaments and tendons strong. As we age this becomes crucial to staying independent and able to do all our regular activities of daily living.
What constitutes as physical activity?
Many of us will automatically jump to the visual of a busy gym floor filled with intimidating people or intense cardio that leaves us breathless. While that might be true for some individuals it's not exactly an approach that inspires everyone! Luckily for the rest of us mere mortals, physical activity is WHATEVER WE WANT IT TO BE. It can be dance, yoga, walking the dog, weight training, trampoline fun with the family... you name it. The best approach to fitness and incorporating more physical activity into your life is to simply find something that you think is fun and DO IT. Wherever you are at and whatever seems accessible to you is the best and only place to start!
With that being said we understand that it is sometimes hard to find your "thing" that speaks to your body and soul. It's not always easy but we are always happy to help people figure out what works best for them and to come up with plans that fit their goals. That's why our motto is "movement that makes a difference"!
References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Benefits of Physical Activity
Exercise Benefits Brain Function: The Monoamine Connection
Tzu-Wei Lin and Yu-Min Kuo
Brain Sci. 2013 Mar; 3(1): 39–53.
Published online 2013 Jan 11. doi: 10.3390/brainsci3010039