by Douglas Nelson
President, BodyWork Associates
As so often happens, every good thing also seems to have a shadow side, a negative aspect. One of the greatest attributes of our nervous system is our ability to adapt. Put us in a warm environment and we sweat to cool down; in a cold environment we shiver to create warmth. Ever had a raspberry seed stuck between your teeth? For awhile, that can drive you right to the edge of tolerance. Later in the day when it comes out while flossing, you realize that you must have gotten used to it.
On the other hand, adaptation can also be our demise. On the purely physical side, muscles adapt to the forces acting on them. If you happen to be positioned in a way that shortens a muscle for an extended period of time, the muscle will adapt to the new length. If you are on a long flight and fall asleep with your neck in a shortened position, waking up can be a rude surprise. After an arm fracture and six weeks in a sling, you will be very disappointed to discover that fully straightening your elbow is not possible.
Similarly, your nervous system also adapts to the forces that act on it. If you are often in a stressful environment, your nervous system “learns” to turn on the stress response faster. If you have been deceived by a couple different people, you learn to distrust everyone, applying what is appropriate in one situation to the whole population.
Adaptation is meant to serve us by shortcutting processes to foster survival. Unfortunately, shortcuts can also be problems if they are not appropriate. Constantly challenging ourselves with new stimuli, physically and mentally, keeps us sharp and helps the brain reassess our responses. Exposing yourself to new situations, you make your body/brain evaluate actions based on current information, not historical information. It is one of the keys to staying younger and healthier. Happy exploring!
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