Jan 21
4
Why Moving Our Body Is So Important
Moving our body on a regular basis is very important for our health.
Why is moving so important?
Moving our bodies stimulates the lymphatic system, which is part of the immune system. Lymph fluid circulates around the body through a network of vessels similarly to the way blood circulates via the circulatory system. While blood requires the heart to pump it through the circulatory system, movement is required to squeeze lymph fluid around the lymphatic system.
As lymph fluid is moved through the lymphatic system, it passes junctions called lymph nodes. Within the lymph nodes immune cells are constantly on guard, and collecting information, looking for signs of foreign material or infection. A lymph node will become swollen in the presence of infection. An example of swollen lymph nodes is those little hard or rubbery feeling lumps, that can be felt under the jaw when we have a throat infection.
What kind of movement?
So now that we know why moving our bodies is more important than we may have previously thought, what kind of movement are we talking about? Going for a run? Swimming? The gym? All of these are great, but they are not the only ways to move more.
It’s the act of moving that’s important
This can be as simple as walking, even just around the house. Gardening. Cutting the grass. Playing with your children, or pets. Preparing a meal. Walking up or down stairs. Doing the dishes. Vacuuming. Taking out the bins. All of these activities count towards moving, and can be spread across the day.
Exercise is great, and great for our overall health. However, now we know, moving and activity of any kind counts, not just mean what we traditionally view as exercise. It also looks like a glowing endorsement for doing housework.
Some examples of how to increase movement in our daily lives
Take the stairs instead of the lift. Park your car further from the shop. Walk or cycle (if practical, and you have a bike) wherever you can. We have heard these before, but now we have a better understanding of why it’s important, and another motivation to do it.
Just move more. Simple as that.
