***** DISCLAIMER: I AM NOT A MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL. I AM A WELL READ, CURIOUS PERSON WHO IS LUCKY ENOUGH TO HAVE FOUND THINGS THAT WORK FOR ME AND BENEFIT MY OVERALL HEALTH. I BELIEVE THAT PEOPLE HAVE THE POWER TO TAKE CONTROL OF THEIR OWN HEALTH. I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS ARE USELESS, BUT I DO BELIEVE AMERICANS HAVE BECOME TOO DEPENDENT ON THEM. EVERYBODY NEEDS HELP AT DIFFERENT POINTS IN THEIR LIVES, HOWEVER. SO, IF YOU ARE EXPERIENCING DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, OR ANY OTHER MENTAL ISSUE, PLEASE GO TALK TO SOMEBODY. THERE’S NO SHAME IN DOING WHAT’S BEST FOR YOU!!! *****
This piece is dedicated to the lives lost this month in Buffalo, NY and Uvalde, TX. I can still recall when the Columbine massacre happened. At 12-years-old, that was my first experience with a mass shooting. This country is more divided than it was in 1999 when Columbine occurred. It seems like all I’ve witnessed in the form of a “solution” is finger pointing and name calling. Blaming does not help the healing process. The bottom line is that there are a lot of families who will be missing somebody at the Memorial Day BBQ this weekend. Please put your political affiliations aside and send love to those families this weekend. They need all of the loving vibes we have to offer.
This piece is also dedicated to our active duty & veteran servicemembers. Success is not achievable without sacrifice, and these folks make the ultimate sacrifice. Have fun & be safe this Memorial Day Weekend!
Olivia Newton-John offered great advice in 1981 when she sang the lyrics, “Let’s get physical, PHYSICAL!” Even though she was metaphorically referring to a desired sexual encounter, the music video depicts her working out in a gym. Quite the double entendre. Well done, Olivia. Well done! Sex offers its share of mental health benefits, but this article will focus on more modest examples of physical exercise. Apologies to those out there who were hoping this would be like one of those steamy romance novels with a Fabio looking dude on the cover.
For me, the journey to becoming physically fit started in 2017. I was going to a trade school in St. Petersburg, FL (shout out to PTEC) and my only mode of transportation was a bicycle. School was M-F from 7am-12pm, so my afternoons were wide open. I set a very general personal goal at that time: get “in shape.” A goal that is nonspecific like that one does not normally pan out. I am very pleased to say that this was not the case in this instance. I purchased a yoga mat and started watching stretching videos on YouTube. The stretching coupled with walking and biking made my body crave more. This is most likely due to the “molecule of more,” dopamine.
I found an incredible explanation of dopamine in a book I recently read: To your brain, this single molecule is the ultimate multipurpose device, urging us, through thousands of neurochemical processes, to move beyond the pleasure of just being, into exploring the universe of possibilities that come when we imagine. Mammals, reptiles, birds, and fish all have this chemical inside their brains, but no creature has more of it than a human being. It is a blessing and a curse, a motivation and a reward. Carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, plus a single nitrogen atom – it is simple in form and complex in result. This is dopamine, and it narrates no less than the story of human behavior1.
Dopamine is responsible for processes in the body such as regulating heart rate, sleep cycles, mood, attention, motivation, working memory, learning, and pain processing. Dopamine is not the only neurotransmitter released during physical exercise, however. When you exercise, your brain releases endorphins and endocannabinoids as well. Exercise also promotes neuroplasticity and increases oxygen supply to your brain. Neuroplasticity is the ability of your brain and nervous system to change their activity in response to internal or external stimuli. This plays a huge role in learning new skills, activities, and languages2. I can personally attest to this “smarter” feeling during exercise. I have this thing that I do where I will run to a sheet of paper or my phone to jot down a thought or an idea (the curse of creativity). I notice that this happens more when I’m working out. My creative & curious nature seems to be amplified during workouts.
As a result of discipline and dedication to physical fitness, I have accomplished things with my body that I could only dream of doing before. Researching and discovering the importance of breathing has helped tremendously as well. I realized that I had been breathing incorrectly my entire life. After reading the book Breath: the New Science of a Lost Art, I trained myself to breathe through my nose (inhale & exhale). This is something I do even if I’m running or jumping rope. I will mouth breathe occasionally, but I’m able to catch myself doing it and correct the behavior in real time.
A fried of mine recently called me and asked how I got in shape. This person leads a sedentary lifestyle and is overweight. I told my friend that it boiled down to hard work, dedication, and persistence. I explained to my friend how I started with walking and stretching, but that I did it every day. After my body got used to that and I became bored with it, I bought a jump rope. Once that started to bore me, I found an outdoor gym and started doing pull-ups. It all started to grow from there. This strategy of planting different physical activity seeds has served me well. I planted a couple of these seeds recently in the form of dance & yoga.
I’m three classes in as far as yoga goes. Two of these classes have been 90-minute “hot” yoga sessions. The fact that I was able to walk into one of those classes two weeks ago and hold my own is a testament to me reaching my goal of “getting in shape.” I’m not saying these classes are easy, because they are not. They are more manageable because I’ve been essentially “training” for them since 2017, however. Shout out to Yoga Abode and URU Yoga & Beyond here in Pensacola!
Dance: what a beautiful thing. Starting in mid-2020, I started thinking about how cool it would be to learn salsa. I have always admired the Latin culture. They are a beautiful people, and their food is incredible. Most importantly, they know how to have fun (like the Irish)! The rhythmic motion and fast-paced nature of salsa was very attractive to me. I am so glad that I met a special friend in late 2020 who encouraged me to try dancing. She told me about the studio she attends and how much she enjoyed it. Honestly, I’m not sure I would have tried it out if not for her. Now I know how to salsa, bachata, cha-cha, waltz, tango, swing, foxtrot, bolero, hustle (all to varying degrees of course)! Check out the video below from my YouTube channel. You will witness one of the most beautiful things in the universe: somebody learning from another individual. Learning through collaboration is what Bay Flavor is all about!!! Please subscribe to the channel to help facilitate my personal growth.
I would be remiss if I did not shamelessly plug my dance studio’s showcase on June 25th here in beautiful Pensacola, FL! I will be participating in some group dances with other students AND performing a solo with my dance instructor Maria that is going to “WOW” everybody in attendance! If you’re wondering why I called a dance with two people a “solo,” you’re not alone. My studio calls them solos, even though they are clearly duets. Don’t ask me why. Anyway, if you want to see the show of the year, hit me up for a ticket. They are $35 each and the proceeds are going to United Ministries. United Ministries helps families in crisis in Escambia and Santa Rosa Counties with financial assistance for rent, mortgage and utility bills.
Whether it be HIIT, yoga, dance, hiking, Pilates, lifting weights, or jumping rope, I beg you to find something physical to do. Obesity is a serious issue in America. One could argue it is the country’s most severe health crisis. From 1999 –2000 through 2017 –March 2020, US obesity prevalence increased from 30.5% to 41.9%. During the same time, the prevalence of severe obesity increased from 4.7% to 9.2%. Obesity-related conditions include heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and certain types of cancer. These are among the leading causes of preventable, premature death3. The mental health crisis may be the only other health-related issue in obesity’s league. There is an argument to be made that obesity and a decline in mental health are related. I believe that the true cause of the decline in many persons’ mental health is a sedentary lifestyle. Obesity is merely a symptom of this lifestyle.
Video games, smartphones, and an atrocious diet: the unholy trinity of the sedentary lifestyle. Before I made a conscious decision to get “in shape,” I was living a rather sedentary lifestyle. I’ve never been obese, but that does not mean I wasn’t unhealthy. Now that I have completely flipped the script, I no longer feel depressed. Sure, I get blue from time to time as I have this disorder known as “the human condition.” But I no longer have episodes where I don’t eat or lack the motivation to get out of bed. At this point, I’m working on not feeling guilty for simply sitting down and watching the newest season of Stranger Things (which I finished over the weekend and enjoyed thoroughly)! According to a study published in 2005 where 80 participants were divided into five groups with differing levels of physical activity. For all groups, the ratings of depressive symptoms on the Hamilton scale fell regardless of exercise dosage4.
I believe I could continue writing this article until the cows come home, but I’m also aware of Americans’ incredibly short attention span. Nobody likes a minuteman, unless it’s in reference to an article or video (insert laughing emoji here). In summation, I want to tell you that I am a firm believer in physical activity’s positive effect on overall health. This belief is backed by science and my own personal journey. If you are still on the fence about it, go give it a try. Take Ms. Newton-John’s advice and get physical, PHYSICAL!
Check out these YouTube channels that I personally use for workouts if you are not sure where to start. With the technology we have at our disposal, there is no need for a gym membership! Be safe and listen to your body!
Lieberman, MD, Daniel Z and Long, Michael E. The Molecule of More. Dallas, TX, BenBella Books, Inc., 2018.
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