Shake your Groove Thang!

So, remember learning about the circulation system in school? recall that happy little loop with the heart on one side and the little spider web called capillaries on the other side, half blue half red.

The heart pumps the blood into the arteries, arteries carry them to the capillaries, and capillaries feed the cells with water, food, and oxygen.

Before it rushes away from the cells, it grabs the trash, like carbon dioxide, and other waste products. This, of course, turns them into veins, since they are not carrying oxygen anymore. With its new load it travels happily back to the heart to get pumped all over again!

Nice, simple, uncomplicated. Right?

Mmmm, Not quite.

It’s a tad more involved than that. But also exponentially cooler when you realize how the body works together to accomplish what it needs to do!

It’s regarding the capillaries. Those little spider web guys don’t step right onto your cell’s front porch like an old time milk man dropping off your daily dairy needs, then picking up your empties with a chipper whistle as the glasses clink happily in the bright sunshine.

I hate to break it to you, but there are no milkmen inside our bodies. Not a one.

The way the blood in the capillaries gets to the cells are by a highly complicated and convoluted method called…are you ready for this…oozing.

Yup, oozing.

Now before you start getting ideas of ten-year old boys running around in Halloween costumes flinging green jello at anyone and anything including their older sister’s hair and kitchen windows, I have another mental image for you.

A sponge.

Yup, just a plain old kitchen sponge. Pink, yellow, any color, it doesn’t matter. Imagine your cell is that sponge. It gets water, oxygen, vitamins, minerals (for repair) fats, carbohydrates, proteins (for energy) all dissolved in this liquid. But what happens when a sponge fills up with too much liquid stuff?

It oozes.

Now in a sink it’s oozing is controlled by the force of gravity down to the drain. Which is hopefully the lowest part of your sink. Otherwise you have puddles!

But where is the lowest spots in our bodies? Do we have drains for our excess water to ooze into?

         

After a thorough investigation of both of my feet, I have yet to find a drain. I didn’t find a single thing resembling a kitchen drain, a shower drain, even a storm drain on the side of the street. Nada.

So what happens to this oozed liquid?

Ladies and Gentlemen, I now present to you, Swelling! 

(wait for applause)

Ever wonder why your feet swell after a plane ride, or a long car trip? Swollen ankles after sitting at your desk for too long, or any other kind of lower body water retention can potentially be attributed to this. Of course there are other reasons for special cases, but this is the most straightforward one.

Now before you start blaming the circulatory system for slacking, understand most of the water does end up in those veins and continue to circulate like we need it to do. But some of that ooze needs a little help to get back on track (don’t we all sometimes?)

Enter the Lymphatic system!

Now this is an interesting, although often misunderstood system of the body because of its unusual nature…

It’s ductless

-Huh?

Ductless

-What??

It means it doesn’t have any veins, arteries, tubes, pipes, electrical wires, or even an air shaft ventilation system enclosing it. Nothing seperating and creating nice clean lines of separation between it and other systems.

This isn’t putting your grass clippings in a bag for pick up. It’s raking your leaves in an autumn wind to pile them on the curb.

If the wind is at your back, it’s great!

If the wind is facing you it’s gonna be hard.

The lymphatic system actually uses other systems of the body to help it do its job. In the case of swelling, it’s the muscular system.

Tighten a muscle, right now, any one. You flexed your butt, didn’t you? When you do that the muscle clamps tight and forces out any oozy fluid that was in there. Now that fluid has to go somewhere. Gravity was pushing it down. But your muscles are stronger than gravity and instead pushes it up. Up, UP!

It works it's way up and eventually back into the circulatory system, where it belongs! Here it can get oxygen from the lungs, drop off waste, carry around platelets to bandage cuts and scrapes, as well as haul around white blood cells. Those are the biggest, baddest bullies in town! They don’t just push germs and virus around. They Eat Them! That’s right, gobble them right up!

So what is one good way to prevent swelling, help out both the lymphatic and circulatory system, you ask?

Shake that Groove Thang!

Walk, run, climb stairs, bike, laugh, chew gum, climb on a playground, go rock climbing, go spelunking, jump rope, hopscotch on a sidewalk, swim, garden, play basketball, volleyball, football, street hockey, ice hockey (eh!), lacrosse, horseshoes, ping pong, wiggle your toes, do gymnastics, yoga, Pilates, kayak, stretch, carry your groceries, rearrange furniture, walk to the mailbox, race your friend, jump on a trampoline, give a massage, Get a massage, do a cartwheel, walk your dog, walk your cat, walk your husband/child/wife!

It doesn’t really matter what you call it, the more physically active you are, the more you are helping out your lymphatic system, and getting that stagnant oozed liquid back to where it needs to go.

         

Pick one of these (or two!) to do today. Write what you do on your calendar at home. You know, the one you buy every year, maybe write people’s birthdays on, then forget to look at most the time. You will be proud of yourself every time you glance at it. Which is good for you too!

I’m going to start by jumping rope, or maybe wiggling my toes…or maybe biking.

While you are at it, take some time to appreciate yourself.

Hey! Stop rolling your eyes!

I mean it, it’s often the simplest things that we take for granted, that are actually the most amazing.

Picture yourself taking a step.

Simple, right?

It should be. You’ve been doing it since you were roughly one or two.

But step inside the body and contemplate what needs to happen for that step to occur.

1.     First off you need to have the muscles, bones, and neurons, not to mention brain formed in the correct way.

2.     Those muscles need to have the potassium and magnesium close at hand in the right quantities in order to contract.

3.     The nerves need to be embedded in the right place to get the message there right.

4.     The brain needs start the electrical message.

5.     It travels lightning fast through your body of a web of perfectly formed, yet not touching neurons.

6.     Your muscles contract, in the right way throughout your foot, calves, and thigh, and other parts of your body (Try walking without moving your arms).

7.     Those muscles pull on bones.

8.     Your balance maintains you staying upright, thanks to your ears.

9.     You take a step, shift your weight, and move forward.

10. Your muscles use the nerves to communicate to your brain.

11. Brain tells your muscles via nerves to stop.

And you thought it was just a step.

Another thing to try. Tonight as you lay down to bed, and wait for sleep. Contract the muscles in your feet, then let them relax. As you do thank your feet for all the places they carried you so ably today. Think of all the walking you’ve done, to the bathroom, store, work, to your friends house, to the kitchen, etc. Did they ever complain once amid all those steps?

Then contract your calves. Relax and thank them for all they do for you.

Contract your thighs, relax and thank them. They keep you upright and hold the weight of your body with rarely a complaint.

Your hips and butt. Relax and thank.

Your lower back. Relax and thank.

Your stomach, relax and thank. And not just the muscles. Thank the bones, the organs, the blood vessels, and yes, even the lymphatic system that is in that part of your body.

Your shoulders and upper back. Relax and thank.

Your chest.

Upper arms.

Lower arms.

Hands.

Neck.

Face.

Head.

Somewhere around the torso I realize how awesome, intricate, and able my body is. For all the seemingly simple things I expect it to do. And it does! Each and every day.

Post your activity that you want to do today!

May you take care of yourself, happily.