Why Your Body Needs To ADAPT To Exercise...

So, as many of you know, I am a certified personal trainer. And today, I am going to share a little personal trainer lingo with you.

All personal trainers learn about the SAID principle- otherwise known as Specific Adaptations To Imposed Demands.

It is a basic foundation to exercise science. And it has a direct effect on what you do with your body every day.

Here's why:

The SAID principle indicates that our bodies will adapt in a specific way to the "stressors" put upon it. In exercise terms, this means that if we do one exercise repeatedly, that we get better at that one exercise and anything that mimics that exercise. The "stressor" in this case, is the exercise, and our bodies adapt to that "stressor" which means we will get better at being able to do that specific movement.

This is a good thing, because it means that our bodies have the power to adapt and change and get better at things that were previously difficult. For those of us who live with chronic pain, exhaustion, fatigue, and illness, this should bring hope. Even little movements that once seemed difficult can become easier with practice. Here, the idea that "practice makes perfect" is true.

However, we have to be careful not to fall into the SAID principle trap. Remember how you get good at the things you do? Well, conversely, you don't adapt to the things you don't do. The SAID principle shows how lack of movement can limit you from getting better at movement. If you don't put a "stressor" on your body, change won't happen.

It's important, then, to pay attention to the following rules:

1. Move often. The more movement you do, the less likely you are to get stiff and uncomfortable. This is why Autoimmune Strongrecommends that you do 1 video a day, which is approximately 10 minutes long. Consistent movement over time is critical to adaptation, with rest days factored in.

2. Move in a variety of ways. The more varied your movement is, the more capable you will be at many things. In Autoimmune Strong, I take you through a wide variety of movements that activates all areas of the body. Your body will get strong in a multitude of ways.

3. Keep practicing. As the saying goes, if you don't use it, you lose it. So keep practicing. Many of the movements in Autoimmune Strong are simple and basic- and while they may seem hard when you start them- soon they will feel like nothing, and you will be able to progress forward to the next level of difficulty.

The process of adaptation is not quick. It takes patience and persistence. But it can be done. And I believe in you.