Bodies in Motion

This month I resigned from my job. Not because it’s a bad job; I resigned based on a visceral feeling that it’s time to move on. It’s not the first time I’ve walked away from my life. After thirteen years as a firefighter-paramedic, I experienced the same sense of restlessness, that consuming need for a new direction. So I’ve cleaned out my office, sold my house, and will now venture forth into the unknown.

Fortunately, I’m not without means. I have my fire department pension and a nice little nest egg put aside. A life-threatening allergy to small children has enabled me to skirt parenthood, so I’m in pretty good shape financially. Therefore, I’m chucking this life to do a bit of wandering and see what pops up on the horizon.

Moving is always a pain. I’m determined to scale back my life and rid myself of unnecessary baggage; stuff I’ve accumulated over the years that has lain dormant and untouched. I’ve even started parceling off my library, the ultimate sacrifice for any self-respecting nerd.

My impending move got me thinking about movement in general. So in an effort to divert my thoughts from packing, I want to discuss the amazing ways our bodies move us through life.

Imagine reaching for a cup of coffee (or in my case, a glass of gin), taking a bite of a sandwich, or brushing your teeth. These actions – reaching, lifting, connecting and returning – are accomplished with barely a thought. We take for granted that our bones and muscles will work in concert to achieve the desired action, which is all the more apparent when we suffer an injury that limits movement.

The 206 bones in your body and the 600-plus muscles on your frame (known collectively as the musculoskeletal system) cooperate to move your body through space. Since contracting muscles can only pull on the skeleton, there must be opposing muscles that reverse the action. For example, when you bend your arm to take a bite of that sandwich, your biceps flex while your triceps relax. When you straighten your arm to put the sandwich down, they reverse roles. This “working together” is referred to as antagonistic action and it occurs throughout the moveable parts of your body.

There are various types of body movement. Flexion is just as it sounds: bending at a joint, as when you bring your foot up to the back of your thigh. Extension is the opposite – a straightening of the joint – as you return your foot to the ground. The movement of your limbs away from your body is known as abduction (as when you reach to hang something up); adduction involves moving them towards your midline. And finally, circumduction is the movement of a limb around a joint, as when you swing your arm in a wide circle.

But these intentional movements don’t just happen, even though many of them seem automatic. Movement originates in the central nervous system, cromprised of the brain and spinal cord, where lightning-fast impulses race along motor neurons. These impulses cause your body to react via the peripheral nervous system, which includes your arms, hands, legs and feet. Sensory nerves deliver information back to your brain and it’s this beautiful synchronization between motor and sensation that enables movement. Think about it… every single movement you make, from the smallest (batting your eyes) to the grandest (jumping a puddle) is carried out through the communication between brain, nerves, bones, and muscles. It’s truly mind-boggling.

But what about unconscious movement? Even if we sit perfectly still, parts of our bodies are still moving, acting on directives from the brain that never register consciously. And, thank goodness. Imagine if you had to direct your heart to beat, your lungs to expand, your bowels to digest, eyes to blink, or your throat to swallow. You probably wouldn’t get a whole lot done. That’s the beauty of the autonomic nervous system – that complex arrangement of nerves that connects the central nervous system to the heart, lungs, and many of your internal organs. It works reflexively and involuntarily, maintaining a steady state (homeostasis) within the body, controlling heart rate, breathing, and circulation, along with all the other bodily functions that keep us alive.

The body’s movements are wondrous to behold. They keep us alive, physiologically and emotionally. As we run or dance or embrace, our hearts are beating, our blood is coursing, and our breath is rushing in. Imagine your life without movement. Think about those who lose their ability through accident or disease; those stoic individuals who live on in the face of paralysis. They are truly the face of courage.

So as you move through your day, think about this wonderful gift and take none of it for granted. Movement propels us forward, and is graciously complemented by the leaps and bounds of our minds.

I leave you with this quote from philosopher Allan Bloom:

See you next Friday.