Dating Tips, Fitness Tips, Daily Blog of the TheFitnessPersonals.com

In our world everything we do and experience has a benefit and a price.  At this point in our ongoing quest for health, I wonder if we have considered the impact watching television has on our bodies while we exercise.

Consider first the mental and physiological effects of television.  Research has shown that watching television turns off the nervous system and slows the brain.  It shuts down higher functioning and increases lower brain (limbic system) activity.  The result is the viewer experiences heightened emotional experiences that the brain believes to be real, which causes the release of powerful hormones.  Ultimately, the brain cannot distinguish between the images on the screen and reality. 

While I value the information provided by research I am always in favor of learning through my own experience.  I do notice that when I watch TV my emotions will respond to whatever is on the screen based upon my degree of interest.  I also notice that when I enter a room where a TV is playing (with or without sound) my eyes will automatically lock on the screen and it does require some effort to pull my focus away.  In view of this, I have no doubt that TV has a powerful physiological and psychological influence over our lives. 

Knowing this, it is important to consider how your body responds to what you are watching.   In working with so many people over the course of my career, I have observed that there are many more moments in our lives that create stress while few help us to release it.   Choosing what you expose your body to while you are exercising is something to consider if what you are watching causes you emotional stress or increases your anxiety. 

Good stress forces the body to adapt and causes growth.  This is the basic principle that drives all exercise programs.  However, each person’s ability to adapt to stress varies per day and everybody has a threshold that when reached causes the body to break down.

Chronic exposure to stress (which describes most of us) causes the body to release a hormone called cortisol that breaks down muscle for energy.  Wait!  Aren’t we looking to build muscle in order to increase metabolism and therefore burn more calories?  

Looking at your daily life, ask yourself the following: how often are you stressed?  Sitting in traffic, concerns about money, relationship problems, work demands and fears about the future plague most people’s daily thoughts.  This constant worrying causes stress hormones to be constantly dumped into your bloodstream.

Additionally, chronic stress causes the body’s muscles system to be constantly contracted.  Remember fight or flight?  When chronically stressed, the muscles of the body are constantly prepared to either fight or run.  This constant contraction wears down joints, uses up vital energy and pulls on the body’s already challenged posture. 

Continued detrimental affects on posture are reinforced as the habit of watching television during exercise causes most people to become so absorbed in what they are watching they are not paying attention to what they are doing or how they are doing it.  If you visit a gym you may notice most people on cardiovascular machines have their eyes glued to the TV.  Their heads are pushed forward while running or they are constantly raising their shoulders and contracting their upper neck muscles while holding onto bike handles.  These muscles are one of the most over abused muscles in the body. 

I understand the need for distraction from boring and repetitive cardiovascular activities however, this too has its price…

The body is a constantly evolving learning machine that digests and integrates our every experience.  What message are you telling your body if you constantly use TV, which shuts off the higher functioning centers of the brain, to distract yourself from physical activity? 

If we examine most people’s attention spans we would discover that majority of people cannot focus on one thing for very long.  Well it’s no wonder when we are continually practicing distracting ourselves from physical experiences that we deem to be “negative”.  How do you expect to get better at paying attention to physical actions like sex, when three days a week for 40 minutes a day you are putting yourself and your mind in a situation where you are purposefully dividing your attention?  In effect you are training yourself to get better at ignoring what is going on in your body.  Is this the health we are trying to create?

My solution, suggestion and challenge to you is to start each exercise routine by paying strict attention to what is going on in your body.  Spend as much time as you can feeling your body from within while you are moving.  Focus on your breath. Assess your quality of movement.  Discover what you like about moving and focus yourself in that direction.  Only watch TV when you need a break.  If you must watch TV try watching something that uplifts or provides you information related to health. Better yet, put on your Ipod and groove to tunes that make you feel good.    

During sessions with clients, one my goals is to provide a peaceful environment to support the experience of self discovery.   Having them focusing on their breathing helps to quiet their mind.  When their mind is quiet they start to hear and feel their body’s voice.  An overly stimulating environment only further stimulates their already overly stimulated minds.  They learn that their potential for personal development is negatively affected when their ability to focus is disturbed. Ultimately, this diminishes their experience of learning to use their body better. 

As you know, the road to obtaining health and wellbeing begins with discipline.  There are many levels of health to explore.  What I am suggesting is a next step towards attaining another level of self discipline and personal growth.  The addiction for constant stimulation can be overcome by learning to apply your focus inwardly.  Learning to apply your focus inwardly is a tremendous opportunity to discover and develop your unique potential.  Learning to calm and direct your mind has tremendous advantages in our overly stressful world.

But don’t take my word for it.  Can you stop your mind from constant thinking?  Can you stop yourself from craving constant stimulation? 

Mr. Sheldon Ginsberg President of FitPath Health Services holds a Bachelors of Science in Exercise Science from State University of New York at Buffalo.  In addition, he has obtained advanced certification as a Strength and Conditioning Coach from the National Strength and Conditioning Association and he is also a 12th level Reiki Master Teacher.  To learn more you can visit www.thefitpath.net or call 305-785-2936.

You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.