As things start to open up many more people are going to get sick, it’s unavoidable, but what can we do to help protect ourselves from serious complications? A researcher at the University of Virginia School of Medicine is proposing as well as washing hands and disinfecting high-touch surfaces frequently another key behavior that should be added to the list: exercise — and not just for its benefits to the lungs, immune system, and mood.
Zhen Yan, a professor of cardiovascular medicine who runs the molecular exercise physiology lab at UVA, showed that exercise boosts the production of an antioxidant known as “extracellular superoxide dismutase,” or EcSOD, which in turn, protects against acute lung disease and other diseases.
This antioxidant can protect against acute respiratory distress syndrome, or ARDS, which is deadly in 45% of cases. ARDS affects up to 85% of patients in the ICU affected by COVID-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus.
He recommends at least 30 minutes each day to reap the benefits — if you haven’t been infected with COVID-19 yet. Those who are infected should try to move moderately, he said, since long-term bed rest can also exacerbate lung infection and cause other complications.
Both those affected and not affected could be helped with qigong. The Mayo Clinic states that Tai Chi and therefore the Science it comes from Qigong…
When learned correctly and performed regularly, tai chi can be a positive part of an overall approach to improving your health. The benefits of tai chi may include:
Decreased stress, anxiety and depression
Improved mood
Improved aerobic capacity
Increased energy and stamina
Improved flexibility, balance and agility
Improved muscle strength and definition
More research is needed to determine the health benefits of tai chi. Some evidence indicates that tai chi may also help:
Enhance quality of sleep
Enhance the immune system
Help lower blood pressure
Improve joint pain
Improve symptoms of congestive heart failure
Improve overall well-being
Reduce risk of falls in older adults
To get the basics on Qigong through the Ba Duan Jin check out this video for an intro and click here to setup a private lesson.
Upset that you don’t have abs like an MMA fighter? Or the booty of a Kardashian? Or a starlette’s post-baby bod? Even if you don’t compare yourself to celebrities, have you ever struggled with accepting your stretch marks, loose skin, or your overall shape? Let’s face it, there probably isn’t a person on the planet who doesn’t have a feature they would like to “improve.”
However, focusing on what you don’t like about our bodies (and many other things) leads nowhere, fast. Not only does a negative self-image get you down it can also be a drag on your health, suggests new research in the Journal of Behavioral Medicine.
Researchers at Bucknell University evaluated the level of body shame undergraduate women had based on how they rated different questions on a questionnaire. These questions included: “When I’m not the size I think I should be, I feel ashamed.” “I often wish I had a better body,” and “Looking through fashion magazines makes me wish I had a better body.” (Click here to download the PDF and see all the questions).
They then asked the women to describe how many infections they’d had, how often they felt ill, and how healthy they thought they were. The verdict? Women with higher levels of body shame also reported more infections.
So the next time you want to disparage your thighs or your lack of a six-pack, cut yourself some slack. A 2014 study published in the journal Mindfulness found that those who practiced self-compassion exercises (not surprisingly) felt less body shame and more body satisfaction. This Nurturing Seeds practice may help.
If you’re in the process of getting fit, remember, it’s a journey. Getting frustrated with yourself along the way isn’t going to help the process. In fact, it might slow it down.
I am still trying to process everything that was discussed on this episode. There is all kinds of good stuff in here about how your diet effects pain, how training in heat can help you deal with injury, and how your doctor might not really be the guy to go to for depression. Please enjoy and let’s process this together in the comments.
32:00 Vasoconstriction is the narrowing of the blood vessels resulting from contraction of the muscular wall of the vessels, in particular the large arteries and small arterioles. The process is the opposite of vasodilation, the widening of blood vessels.
39:00 “No one lives forever, no one. But with advances in modern science and my high level income, it’s not crazy to think I can live to be 245, maybe 300.” -Joe Rogan
Telomeres are an essential part of human cells that affect how our cells age. Telomeres are the caps at the end of each strand of DNA that protect our chromosomes, like the plastic tips at the end of shoelaces.
I promise to never knowingly make you feel bad about who you are, how you look, what you think, or what your dreams are. As the weather warms up there are a lot of people out there body shaming (mostly) women (but sometimes men are also body shamed) into buying product A or diet X. This is not what I’m about.
I couldn’t have said it better myself… oh wait I did 🙂
I live by the Platinum Rule. If I ever in anyway make you feel less than AWESOME please let me know. I would like the opportunity to apologize and build you back up.
So there you are interconnected, co-dependently arising, manifestations of the divine multiverse! Your move!
Mwah, Namaste!
Harmony of Body, Mind, and Spirit to Tune Your Human Machine
Kung-Fu with Washu 
