It seems that the latest trend these days is to be super fit. In the spirit of taking things to their extreme, healthy became “Super Healthy.”
Judging only from my circle of friends, more and more people are training for marathons, iron-man, tough mudder, and working out in cross-fit gyms.
The one word that seems to fit all these activities is: Extreme.
In Chinese Medicine, balance is a law of nature. When an extreme is reached it brings forth the birth of its opposite. This concept is illustrated by the Yin and Yang symbol. Midnight marks the beginning of a new day. It’s the way the wheels turn.
Going back to extreme exercises…. There is nothing wrong with activity and challenge. It’s inspiring to know that you can set a goal and achieve it. The momentary feeling of an adrenalin rush, and the feeling of being unstoppable, both are experiences that make us feel powerful. The body mechanism that is at play during these extreme activities is called the Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS). This system is also known as the fight or flight response. It is a system that is designed to support us in extreme situations – when our survival is at hand.
The opposite of activity is rest. The opposite of the sympathetic NS is the Parasympathetic NS. On one hand – “fight or flight,” on the other “rest and digest.”
They are called, “Yin and Yang” – always together and one balances the other.
It’s true; most of us don’t run all the time. We sit in offices. On the surface, it seems like the physical inactivity of a day job balances the extreme activity of running and training. But this is an illusion. If your job is stressful, if there is an impending “deadline”, if your boss will “kill” you, it doesn’t matter that you “know” it’s not literal. Your prehistoric nervous system is sensing a threat to your own sense of survival. Consequently, you are releasing adrenalin, cortisol, and you are exhausting your adrenals. In other words, you are not at rest.
Between working a stressful job, and working-out in extreme ways, our body never gets to switch gears to “rest and digest” mode. Therefore, we can’t fall asleep – since who can afford closing their eyes when danger is lurking? We don’t digest well, since the digestive system is not a priority when you are about to die.
Achieving balance doesn’t mean don’t do extreme things – it just means have equal amount of rest and nourishment as you do activity and stress. If you feel fatigued and you need coffee and energy drinks to get going and keep moving – your body is begging you to stop and rest.
“Balance” means: Do not ignore this message.
Take the time to eat your meals, in a relaxed way, so your body digests properly. If possible, try to sleep before midnight, to have restorative sleep. Have daily breathing exercise where you fill your lungs with air, which does not happen when you are stressed. Balance all the activities in your life with equal amounts of nourishment, and allow your body to reset itself back to a relaxed, “rest and digest” state. After all, the “fight or flight” mechanism is only designed to last a few minutes, not days.
