So how do you defend yourself and your loved ones from the standard beginning-of-the-school-year ailment?
The usual suspects include washing one’s hands; getting adequate sleep + hydration; cutting down on all those the oh-so-sweet items, and, possibly, pounding back the “Antiviral.”
Well, what about your alignment (you knew I was going there, right?)?
Meet the new (well, not really new – we just don’t talk about it much) kid on the immunity block: your LYMPHATIC SYSTEM.
To put it simply, the fluid in this system needs to circulate freely for you to have an adequate immune response. Circulate freely – as in move A LOT – is our key operational word here.
Why wouldn’t it circulate, you might ask?
Well…. The obstacles to that free circulation might include tense shoulders, tight hips, or the lack of everyday movement.
You see, lymph doesn’t move very well on its own; unlike our cardiovascular system, lymphatic system doesn’t have this great big pump (the heart!) to move the fluid around.* Instead, lymphatic system depends on muscles – the less you move your muscles, the more your lymph resembles stale bog. UGH!
But wait, there’s more!
[clickToTweet tweet=”You have to move all of your muscles in their appropriate ranges on motion to get your lymph going.” quote=”You have to move all of your muscles in their appropriate ranges on motion to get your lymph going.” theme=”style1″]
Whaaat?
[clickToTweet tweet=”Tight muscles limit the motion of the joint, and that’s where the lymph tends to back up.” quote=”Tight muscles limit the motion of the joint, and that’s where the lymph tends to back up.” theme=”style1″]
Here is the real deal breaker: the largest lymph node clusters are conveniently located in those areas where we tend to be the tightest – neck, armpits, chest, ribs and groin (for women: those armpit lymph nodes are very, very, just way too close to your breasts; get your shoulders loosened up to protect your girls). And so we are right back to tight hips and tense shoulders…
You can most definitely guess where I am going with this, but I will say it anyway:
Want better immunity so you can ward off seasonal nastiness and some scarier bugs, too?
Start moving now, and even more importantly – stretch your muscles to their appropriate length, get your joints moving in their full range of motion to breathe better and enjoy amped up immunity all winter long!
Oooooops, did I just say the big “W” word?
