Exercise and Detoxifying our Body
Although exercise is generally seen as a way to strengthen our muscles, increase our aerobic capacity and to loose weight it can also be a way to detoxify our body and boost your immune system. In this article we will look at two forms of exercise - aerobic exercise (running, walking, swimming and sports generally) and Eastern exercise (yoga, tai chi, qi gong) and the role that they can play in toxin removal and strengthening of our immune system.
Aerobic exercise
Aerobic exercise, no matter its form, has major health benefits. It strengthens the heart and lungs, builds bones, boosts the immune system and assists you to sleep well. In addition to these functions aerobic exercise also stimulates the detoxification process. It does this in the following ways.
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Aerobic exercise encourages sweating. While you are resting you loose about 0.003 litres of sweat per hour. However during an hours exercise you can loose as much as a litre (2 pints) of sweat. While most of the sweat is water (99%) the rest is a combination of minerals and toxins. The more you sweat the more toxins that you can potentially loose - of course you are also loosing valuable minerals and if you do a lot of sweating you will need to replace these minerals.
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Aerobic exercise causes you to breath faster. When you are doing your exercise you need oxygen to enable the muscles to do their work. In addition to this your muscles will produce toxins like carbon dioxide and lactic acid. These chemicals and in particular the levels of carbon dioxide in your blood will trigger the brain to increase your rate of breathing. As you breathe out the carbon dioxide from your lungs other toxic chemicals that are processed in the lungs can also be expelled.
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Aerobic exercise stimulates the bowel. Studies have demonstrated that the speed of material passing through the bowel is increased by 60% with aerobic exercise. This means that toxic material is removed from the body much faster.
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Aerobic exercise causes a safe breakdown of fat. If you burn more calories than you take in then your fat and protein is released for the energy needs of the body. A sudden reduction in calories can cause a rapid breakdown of body tissue and this process can cause a sudden release of toxins into the blood stream. By breaking down the body's fats in a slow and sustained manner means that the toxins that are released in the process can be effectively and safely eliminated by the body.
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Aerobic exercise stimulates the lymphatic system. There is no pump that moves the lymph around the body instead it needs muscle contraction for its movement. This means that with aerobic exercise the lymph is more effectively able to move throughout the body and will be able to 'pick up' harmful substances along the way. These substances can then be processed by the lymphatic system.
Eastern exercise
The so-called Eastern exercises, such as yoga, tai chi and qi gong, are also effective in supporting the body to eliminate toxins. The benefits of yoga include the following.
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Yoga encourages you to breathe more effectively. Effective breathing and lung function is important for the removal of environmental toxins. Yoga teaches breath control and opening of the lungs so that the exchange of oxygen, carbon dioxide and other substances is enhanced.
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Yoga stretches and relaxes the muscles and other tissues. This process is believed to encourage the release of toxins into the bloodstream so that they can be removed from the body. This process, like that of aerobic exercise, stimulates the lymphatic system and increases the lymph flow.
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Yoga balances and strengthens the body's inner energy. If the body's inner energy is blocked then toxins are able to build up in the body and the body will not perform at its best. The balance of energy is able to be restored through movement and breathing. This enables the energy to flow through the systems of the body. There are certain postures or positions that are particularly designed to assist the detoxification of the body in this way.
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Yoga assists in reducing stress. There are research studies that have demonstrated that yoga can reduce blood pressure, which has been increased by stress, in as little as 2.7 minutes. Increases in stress are associated with the consumption of 'comfort' foods and beverages such as chocolate and other sugary and fatty foods, alcohol and nicotine. Yoga is a better way to reduce stress and will also reduce toxins in the body and not add to them.
Whichever form of exercise you choose it will have benefits in supporting the detoxification of the body and boosting the immune system. Whenever there is a reduction of the toxins in the body then the liver is able to function more effectively and the immune system will have boost. There will also be improved blood and lymph flow and improved exchanges of oxygen and carbon dioxide and other substances. The body will also be stimulated to release stored toxins for removal from the body. This process will free up energy that the body needs to repair the damage that has been done by the infections and disease. Get your copy of Safe Colon Cleansing for more information on how to get ride of toxins from your body and improve your health.
References
Aesoph, L. 2001, 6 Steps for Handling Stress, Health World Online, June 2001.
Foster, H. 2003, Detox Solution: 14 Plans to Detox Your Life. Hamlyn.
Worby, C. 2002, The Everything Yoga Book: Improve Your Strength, Flexibility and Sense of Well-being. Adams Media.
04.10.2007. 19:51
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