Muscle Pumps

No, not the kind bodybuilders look for in the gym but rather the fluid pumps within our own bodies.

 

Obviously the heart is one of the primary fluid pumps within us, driving blood around the body.  And in that blood bound to haemoglobin is oxygen (among other things).  The breath of life.  But the heart only pumps blood out not in.

 

AND there are other fluid systems in the body including the lymphatic system which has no pump. But the lymphatic system is very important for your immunity.  In simple terms, it helps stop you getting sick.

 

So how does this other fluid move around?  If you read the title of this post, you probably guessed it.  By bodily movement and the action of your muscles.  When we use our muscles they squeeze and help pump these fluids around the body which is why there is increased blood flow during physical activity.  And you may have worked out that pumps only work locally, so if you don’t use your foot muscles much (if you’re wearing heels) then not much pumping is happening there.  So not much blood circulation gets through that area so waste buildup happens without much nourishment to counteract it.

 

So that is why gentle movements and activities like walking (barefoot preferably) are great for circulation.  We use a lot of muscles to walk and this means a lot of circulation goes to a lot of places without too much pooling as happens when we sit or keep our hips flexed for long periods.  The gentle to moderate nature of these activities also allows the blood to flow but not at too fast a speed that oxygen cannot be transferred properly at the cellular level (because the oxygen must still be taken up to be useful).

 

So that is why I recommend walking for at least 30-60minutes a day (broken up into shorter periods if need be), preferably outside and barefoot.  Low impact, weight bearing, relaxing.  But like anything you may need to start small, like not wearing shoes in and around the house (no socks either).  And start with 3x10min of walking every day.  Your children will love it!

 

The most important thing is to just start where you are and don’t compare your starting point to someone else’s middle point.