Exercise - Essential For Circulation

2005. Awaiting revision 2007

It is not just the heart, lungs and muscles which benefit from exercise. Exercise is vital for whole body health.

To understand why, we must understand what happens when the blood circulates on the microscopic level; and also the importance of a secondary circulating fluid...

Good Circulation Is A Major Key To Keeping Healthy
Increased circulation is the major benefit of exercise.

What needs circulating in the body?

The What?!

The lymphatic system is a network of blind-ended vessels, and nodes that transport the lymph throughout the body.

The lymph nodes (or lymph glands) are little nodules within the lymph vessels which are 'factories' for making white blood cells.

There are particular concentrations of these in your groin, throat, and armpits.

When the lymph nodes swell and become tender, it is usually a bad sign and a good sign! It is a bad sign in that you have an infection, somewhere near the swollen nodes; but a good sign in that the lymph nodes are 'working overtime', to produce extra white blood cells to fight off the infection.

It is important to note that the lymph vessels are blind-ended. Lymph has no equivalent of a heart to pump it around the system; it relies on being squeezed by our muscles as we move. It can pass through the vessels in one direction only thanks to the blind ends of the vessels acting as valves. There is only one way to circulate this vital lymph fluid. And that way is - exercise.
 

What Does Lymph Fluid Do?
To help you to appreciate the importance of the lymph fluid to good health, let's have a look at what it does.

Firstly, lymph completes the circulation of the blood. As the blood vessels get tinier and tinier, components of the blood are squeezed out through tiny gaps. This fluid - called tissue fluid - carries nourishment with it to every cell.

Once the tissue fluid has passed on its nourishment, the lymph vessels help to collect it up again. The fluid now also contains waste products passed into it from the cells, such as dissolved carbon dioxide.

Secondly, the lymph fluid has a vital task in transporting white blood cells around the body. White blood cells are the major component of our IMMUNE system. They are rushed immediately to any area of damage or inflammation in the body. They fight off invading 'pathogens' (bugs); and repair or recycle damaged body cells coming to the end of their life cycle.
 

[Next: Exercise and the vital Lymph Circulation...]

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