Why Do We Need Muscles?

The Essential Role of Muscles in Our Lives

What a silly question! Don’t we need to move, walk, chew on a piece of cake, or turn from side to side in bed? This question seems absurd. It’s like saying we need our brains solely to solve crossword puzzles.

Muscles and Stress

A child laughing at a toy, Garibaldi smiling when he is expelled for excessive love for his country, a young girl trembling at the first thoughts of love, Newton creating universal laws and writing them down — the final fact in all these instances is muscle movement.

Ivan Sechenov

Muscles are certainly needed for movement. Without them, we would turn into “plants.” However, muscles have much broader functions. They are the last link in the nervous system. Every emotion we accumulate in our nerves and brain is reflected in our muscles and released through them. Therefore, muscles serve as a universal remedy against stress—if you have muscles and know how to use them. Otherwise, excess nervous energy may cause spasms in the muscles, blood vessels, and internal organs.

This can lead to conditions such as high blood pressure, headaches, heart attacks, strokes, gastritis, colitis, and other spastic, inflammatory, and painful responses. For example, a muscle spasm near the shoulder blades may cause insomnia and numbness in the hands. Similarly, a spasm in the upper neck may result in vertigo, ringing in the ears, and chronic fatigue.

Understanding the Connection Between Muscles and Mental Health

It's no surprise that our physical health has a direct impact on our mental well-being: regular movement and exercise release endorphins, the body's natural stress relievers. When we use our muscles, we decrease stress and anxiety levels, which promotes a positive mental state. This indicates that a balanced approach to health involves not just diet but also physical activity. The key phrase here is "muscles are a universal remedy against stress."

Muscles and Metabolism

Diabetes, obesity, and atherosclerosis stem from the lack of physical activity rather than an unhealthy diet.

Muscles play a vital role in our metabolic system. They consume sugars and fats, helping to prevent diabetes and atherosclerosis. Studies have shown that thirty minutes of intense exercise can have a more significant impact than 500 mg of metformin, the most powerful drug for diabetes management. This drug works by “opening doors” for glucose in muscle cells. However, when your muscles are active, hungry cells throw these doors open much faster and wider.

Thus, it is clear that conditions like diabetes, obesity, and atherosclerosis result from lack of physical activity rather than mere dietary choices. A modest increase in muscle mass can significantly lower blood sugar and cholesterol levels.

The Importance of Muscle Health

Maintaining healthy muscle mass is crucial for overall health. Engaging in regular exercise, including strength training, helps build muscle. This, in turn, enhances metabolism and promotes better overall health.

Muscles and Thermoregulation

Thermoregulation is another important function of muscles. It protects our internal organs from the effects of low temperatures.

As it gets colder, muscles start shivering at an increasing rate to generate heat.

As temperatures drop, our muscles begin to shiver more rapidly to generate heat. This process is vital for maintaining core body temperature. When muscles weaken, unsightly fat deposits form in sensitive areas of the body, such as the stomach, buttocks, and back of the neck. However, the good news is that these fat deposits can diminish if we stimulate our muscles in those zones.

How to Effectively Stimulate Muscle Growth

To effectively stimulate and strengthen your muscles, regular exercise is essential. Engaging in targeted physical activity can help eliminate unwanted fat and enhance muscle tone.

Secrets of Muscle Strength

The solution seems apparent: let us all head for the gym! However, many have tried this only to return home frustrated or injured. Muscles that have been idle for a long time develop sensitive nodes (trigger points) and react to attempts to activate them with pain or spasms.

To handle your weakened muscles the right way, have at least a few sessions with a rehabilitation therapy professional who knows how to find and “defuse” explosive areas in the skeletal muscle system. These procedures are followed by manual joint and spine decompression to release pinched nerve roots and ligaments. After this introduction, you can confidently start rebuilding and strengthening your muscles.