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Health
A Bizarre Reason You Should Walk
Have you heard of optic flow? It’s one more reason for walking right for you.
Optical flow (optic flow) is “the pattern of the apparent movement of objects, surfaces, and edges in a visual scene caused by the relative movement between an observer and a scene.” For you, optic flow is the motion pattern created by your eye as you move relative to your environment. Walk, jog, or run and stationary things pass by.
Our brains are quite remarkable. As we move in space, various objects move past our eyes’ retinas at varying speeds (depending on how fast you are moving). Your brain understands how fast you are moving along and cancels out the movement such that the objects are not moving past me; instead, you are moving past them.
Now we come to today’s topic. When our brain circuitry interprets that we are moving through space, we can get a sense of relaxation. So, get out there and create optic flow. You can move fast or slowly, but variable speeds may be optimal. For me, walking each day promotes a sense of calm.
Optical flow, such as the movement of objects past you as you walk, quiets some of the circuits responsible for stress.
Walk, jog, run, or swim, and you may derive peace from optical flow. You can calm brain circuits central to threat detection. Do you perch in front of a computer all day long? You see, in two dimensions, fixed in space.
So get up and move!
One more thing: Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing and PTSD
EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. It is a type of psychotherapy used to help those experiencing emotional distress from disturbing life experiences.
Our brain’s processing center moves toward mental health. If the information processing system is blocked (for example, by a disturbing event), a system chemical imbalance and resultant suffering can result. If the blockage can be removed, the brain’s natural healing can resume.
