Mind-body connection: How movement controls the body's stress

It had been a mystery how professional tennis players were able to clear up their mind and not dwell on the mistakes they had made as moment ago.

The practising of Yoga and exercise to release stress by various motions and stretching of the body is still being understood. Do exercises like yoga reduce stress by bodily movements or it just helps to distract the mind? 

THE CONNECTION BETWEEN STRESS, ADRENAL GLAND AND THE BRAIN CORTEX 

A research conducted by Associate Professor Randy Bruno of Columbia University relates the Adrenal gland to the Cortex of the brain. Adrenal glands are endocrine glands sitting on top of both kidneys. These are responsible for getting our body ready for an emergency or any danger, when any danger a human feels, the hormone adrenalin is pumped into the blood so that the body gets ready for any physical action to flee or fight, turn this tap off and the body relaxes. 

This research found a new co-relation between the brain and the adrenal gland in reducing stress. The cortex of the brain is considered to be the chief commanding head quarter for all motor actions; it sends signals for all motor activities. The relation between the adrenal medulla and cortex of the brain were directly related to stress control. This would mean that body movement does influence the stress level of the body. Hence the practicing of yoga, pilates or any other physical exercises is helpful in reducing the stress level in the body. Here is the proof. 

The journal “Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences” research showed that neuroscientist in Pittsburgh had found the part of the Cerebral cortex in the brain that controls the adrenal medulla, this has given this understanding a new light. 

So to understand the mapping process between the cerebral cortex and adrenal medulla the injection of rabies virus were carried out in monkeys. This virus has the capability to disable our nerves, and it moves at a predictable pace. In the experiment the neuroscientists injected a monkey with the virus and when after it had spread for some distance they drained the blood of a monkey and injected it with antibodies to check the spread of rabies virus. 

After making a chart of the virus travel of the killed neurons, the results surprised them. They found a connection between the motor cortex region of the brain to the adrenal glands. The motor region of the brain cortex is concerned with the arms, legs and face. This establishes the fact that movements of these regions of the body are helpful in reducing stress in the body. This is cementing the fact that exercise does reduce stress. I am off jogging. 

Via: disclose.tv