As we progressed in the technological revolution, as websites, screens, marketing and phones have become louder and brighter, with more alerts, we’ve largely gone along for the ride in other areas as well, including training.
“High intensity” has not just been the theme of how many have exercised over the last decade, but how they’ve lived as a whole.
The trouble with intensity though, is the demand it places on our resources. If we shift up a few gears – work more, rest less, sleep poorly and train too hard/much, then we add stress and up-regulate the default state of the nervous system.
For many, this has led to a break-down of optimal breathing patterns (including a shift to mouth breathing and over-breathing), poor sleep, an increase in stress and a decline in health.
It’s then become a viscous cycle – these factors lead to slow weight gain, lethargy, stress and more. Which, many believe are reasons to exercise more, eat less and train harder – and around we go again.
Yes, we need to move, and strength, mobility and movement work are key,
But for training to be beneficial, to break in the stress-cycle and have longer term results, we need to start to understand that how we eat, breathe and move as a whole are what counts. We need to learn to down-regulate stress both acutely and long term, and set up a lifestyle that is pro-health.
When we learn more about our system as a whole from a physiological perspective, it gives some new insights on how and when we can choose to live with “intensity.”
