Have you ever stubbed your
toe? It hurts! We all probably have
accidentally kicked a corner with a barefoot.
What did you do when your toe cried out in pain? Did you swear (or want to)? Yell? Jump
around? Hit something?
Why do we hop up and down, yell
into a pillow, or throw things when we experience pain? Why does our body give us those urges to
respond with violence in this way? The
answer is easy: these actions help take away the pain faster. These actions are our body’s own pain
reliever. No drug required. Certain actions we do calm certain problems
we experience.
Why does a toddler stomp around
when he doesn’t get his way? Why do
people go on walks to relieve stress?
Because these actions in response to an emotion are our bodies own way
to treat that emotion. Certain actions
can be used to treat different difficulties in our lives. This is how we have dealt with stress,
emotions, and life before the advent of psychiatric medication.
Our body is also an incredibly
adaptive creation. We can change our
bodies better than any other animal on earth.
Want to be able to run a marathon?
Train for it and your body will change to be able to perform the
task. Want to be able to quickly climb
up cliffs? Practice and you will be able
to master the ability.
But what about the mind? By putting stress on our body we can make
changes to it, but these corporal changes also create cognitive
alterations. Punching a punching bag can
create a better body, but it can also calm the mind. As the body adapts to the task of boxing, it
can also naturally counter mental issues, like stress and anxiety. A boxer may not have even noticed it, but his
workout helped his body help his mind.
There is a way to maximize
exercise’s ability to adapt the mind. It is called Cognitive Physical
Conditioning (CPC). CPC is a physical
exercise program to help the body help the mind deal with mental or emotional
problems. These problems can range from
a simple stubbed toe, to addictions, to cognitive disorders like Depression,
anxiety, PTSD, and even autism.
CPC incorporates ways to make
changes in the body that create changes in the mind. It can be used by itself, or can be
incorporated into different therapeutic techniques and programs. CPC was created to improve and accelerate not
only therapy, but fitness as well. Not
everybody can or wants to talk out their issues. CPC is a great alternative to traditional
talk therapy. CPC exercises target
specific hormones linked to health, medications, disorders, and phase of
life. It provides coping skills and
makes the body more resistance to triggers and stress.
CPC exercises release/stabilize
beneficial hormones assisting or replacing psychiatric medication. It helps to reset nerve responses and
increase brain plasticity so that change, recovery, and progression are
accelerated. The body not only begins to
work more efficiently, but it also minimizes unnatural or unbalanced chemicals.
The goal of CPC is to modify the
body to adapt it to fight stress, circumstances, and even genetics. Just as someone can exercise and induce
changes to become a better runner, a person can exercise and induce changes to
better fight a mind/mood disorder. CPC
is more than behavior modification; it is body modification. The purpose of CPC is to incorporate
behaviors that condition the body to optimize its ability to resist, fight, and
counter a condition of the mind.
Just because someone has reached a fitness goal
it does not mean that they don’t have to work out anymore. The same applies to CPC. CPC is a lifestyle change. Changing requires the most work. But maintaining that change is easy,
especially if it becomes a habit you practice every day. You live happier, healthier, and stronger,
both physically and mentally.
