Working In is better sometimes than working out

The general idea behind this advice is correct. The human body requires regular and consistent movement in order to maintain muscle mass, cardiovascular health, joint health, reduce the likelihood of injury, aid the return of venous blood and lymph, maintenance of a healthy body weight, reduce the likelihood of serious health conditions such as diabetes, heart disease and cancer and many other crucial health benefits. However, there are times when working out can do more harm than good. When you work out, you use energy and vital nutrients. This can be problematic when you already have very low energy and/or nutrient levels. When you are under excessive levels of stress, you’re going to have low energy or low nutrient levels.

The diagram shows that there are 6 main types of stressors: 

• Physical
• Chemical
• Electro-magnetic
• Psychic
• Nutritional
• Thermal

If these systems are unable to manage the stressors, they become unbalanced, and this is when injury and disease occur if not corrected. Exercise is a physical stress, so if you are already overly stressed, working out is just going to add more stress and uses up more vital nutrients. If your body is in homeostasis, then you can work out and reap the benefits. Your body will respond by improving the systems you were training during the workout as long as you take on adequate nutrients and get optimum rest and sleep. As a C.H.E.K Practitioner and Holistic Lifestyle Coach I have been trained to assess your levels of stress and give you the appropriate level of exercise. If your levels of stress are high, then Work-In exercises will help.

So What is Working In?

Work-In exercises increase the amount of energy in the body rather than using up energy.  So how does exercise create more energy? The process of breathing, which carries a strong positive charge, acts like the positive pole of a magnet, whilst the water in your body (your body is ~75% water) acts like the negative pole of a magnet. So the positive and negative poles create energy or work potential. The heart, after receiving oxygen from the lungs, acts like a generator, producing a powerful electromagnetic field. It also acts like a pump sending an added charge to the cells and systems.

Muscles help energize the body by producing electromagnetic energy and by acting like pumps to assist the action of the heart.  When tension is placed on connective tissues of the muscles, tendons and skin via movement, an electrical current known as a piezoelectric current is produced. So considering we produce energy with movement, a Work-In exercise is one that uses less energy than is being created. When we perform Work-In exercises, the slower you move your body, the faster the Chi energy flows. Work-In exercises are performed without raising heart rate or breathing rate above a resting state, so you should be able to perform Working In exercises on a full stomach after dinner.

Types of Work-In exercises include Zone Exercises (as shown in Paul Chek’s book, How to Eat, Move & Be Healthy!), Tai Chi, Qi Gong, and gentle forms of Yoga. How Do You Know When to Work In and When to Work Out? You can either receive an assessment from me online or in person here in Dallas. I am a Clinical Nutritionist, Master Trainer and Holistic Lifestyle Coach or complete the questionnaires on line here to find out how much Working In versus Working Out exercises you should be doing for optimal health, body weight and performance. 

As Buddha once said, “If you don’t go within, you go without”. So make sure you put some Working In exercises into your day if you need it. In today’s day and age most of us do need it.