Movement in My Brain and Body

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I’ve always believed that movement is medicine. A lifestyle that blends regular physical activity, seems to be the recipe for a healthier brain. In the morning, I start with a bowl of 12-grain porridge, a strong coffee, and then roll out for a morning bike commute.

One particular holiday ride in the Okanagan sharply reminds me how my body and brain connect.

Setting out in the cool morning air to avoid the desert heat, I was primed for a 5 hour ride in the mountains. I started out, carrying speed into the sandy uphill corners, threading together the rutted sections, while avoiding boulders. I felt that sense of flow; when balance, speed and muscles are in sync.

And then it hit me. A sudden, urgent need for a different kind of “flow.”

There are few things more humbling than being up in the mountains, many km’s from town, and realizing you’ve overlooked one of life’s most basic needs. Supplies? None.

Climbing a sage grass bluff, I was looking for any relief options. Finally, the terrain dipped into a shaded area, surrounded by massive boulders. I spotted a shrub with an abundance of leaves. Grateful, I did what had to be done, cleaned up with handfuls of leaves and a little precious water.

I felt much better as I continued, finishing the ride in the early afternoon. Returning for a late lunch, I felt mentally sharp from the increased blood flow and oxygen to the brain.

But by evening, something wasn’t right; maybe it was just soreness from being on the saddle. It was an itchy, burning discomfort that made it tough to sit.

The next morning, instead of heading out for another ride, I reluctantly went to the town clinic.

The doctor took one quick look at me and chuckled. “What have you been doing?”

“Riding the hills back there,” I replied.

“You were cycling, and then stopped for a BM?”

“Yeah, you got it.”

“Then I can see what you used to clean up!” He showed me a drawing of poison ivy. “Did it look like this?”

At that moment, my brain replayed the scene. The lone leafy bush. My relief at finding it. My mistake.

The doctor gave me Prednisone, which helped with the inflammation, but I still endured two weeks of discomfort.

That episode taught me two lessons.

1. Work up a sweat, but never mistake poison ivy for a convenient solution in the desert!
2. Exercise in nature encourages the growth of brain neurons - essential for the repair and maintenance of brain cells.

When I think back to that holiday ride, the discomfort still makes me wince and smile. We’ve all had those embarrassing hits to the ego. But even more, I remember feeling my brain so switched on when I was cresting the ridge to meet the glow of the morning sun.

I’ll still put in the km’s on the bike even though my body tires more easily and recovery takes longer. Exercise, even with its occasional hazards, is a great brain-strengthening prescription.

And I hope my brain will have the decency to stay sharp and thank me, for years to come.

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I would love to connect with you on LinkedIn or Facebook​

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See you next week,

Grayson

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