Healthy is not just the food on your table or the size of jeans you can fit in. Healthy is mind, body and spirit. When all three are functioning correctly, your body is working at 100% of its design. So how do they go together? How can using one, benefit the other?

The Mind
Here is what happens internally when you start to exercise. The brain will recognize that the body is now under a form of stress. Next, your heart rate will increase and your body goes into fight or flight mode. As a self defense mechanism, your body will release a protein called Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor ( BDNF) which protects you and your brain from long term damage. BDNF has a protective and also reparative element to your memory neurons and acts as a reset switch. The feeling that this produces is most recognized as the peace or ease you feel after a hard workout. 

At the exact same time as BDNF is released, your brain also releases endorphins. This chemical is also used to fight stress in the body, but produces the sensation to eliminate discomfort. Some scientists have classified this feeling as intense excitement or happiness. 

Now that the brain has released two chemicals that create an upper experience, your mind is now in an increased positive state from the initial state of rest before you began to exercise.

The Body
You would think this would be obvious, but the body is effected in multiple ways when we exercise. 

Muscles: When your muscles are put under stress, tiny tears occur. When the tears heal, the muscles become stronger. 

Lungs:  The more your body is in movement, the more oxygen it needs. Your lungs work to provide the correct amount of oxygen for the muscles to work properly. When the muscles around your lungs cannot move any faster to pump oxygen, you have reached what is called your VO2 max. The higher VO2 max you have, the more in shape you are. 

Heart:The heart is a muscle that is also worked out when you exercise. It’s job is to pump more blood to your muscles when they work hard. When this happens, your heart rate increases. It becomes stronger the more this occurs and your body will be able to recovery faster. This is what is known as recovery heart rate. 

Joints and Bones:Exercise will help maintain bone mass density. As an adult, your bones will have reached peak density and then slowly will decrease as you age. Working out will keep your bones from becoming brittle and you are at less of a cause to a fracture. 

The Spirit
No matter your spiritual practice, there is a connection between your mind, body and spirit. When there is unhealthy stress being placed on your body, your spirit is the driving force to eliminate the issue. Some researcher have shown that positive beliefs have improved the health of human beings. 

When you identify negative or stressful problems in your life and actively seek to change them. The body will function at a greater percentage than when the problem was there before. Exercise can be used as a form of peace, comfort, love or connection to ride of those issues. Whether it be an intense lagree workout or a quiet yoga session, your spirit will move its focus onto the good of improving itself and away from the negative problem. ​

Mind, Body and Spirit
When one of these three elements are not working correctly, the others will be affected. Full body health involves taking care of each aspect. You may need to turn your focus on your mental health for a season, while in the season after you will be working on your physical health. 

Exercise is the common ground between all three elements. It is shown that it will positively increase your health no matter which of the three you are working. The Mantra Family wants you to be a whole healthy human. Come by one of our studios to see if Lagree is the right workout for you. We believe in taking the small steps to a happier healthier future. 

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