CANADIAN PHYSIQUE ALLIANCE FEBRUARY 2019 | Page 75

Although they are
always working together,
oftentimes one is more
dominant over the other
depending on the
situation. The degree to
which state is more
dominant varies from
individual to individual;
the complicated part is
that we don’t necessarily
control it with our
conscious mind. When
you breathe, you don’t
necessarily have to think
about inhaling a breath
and exhaling a breath.
Your body
subconsciously does it
for you.
Our sympathetic system
is commonly known as
our fight or flight mode.
Our Parasympathetic
system is commonly
known as our rest and
digest mode. This occurs
when our body is resting
and we are not under a
time of stress. In this
mode is when our body
repairs itself and is able
to properly break down
nutrients from the foods
we eat.
Why is all this important
to know? Because in our
current society, we live in
a constant state of stress.
We constantly are
running around just
trying to cram in 1000
things to do in a day.
. Especially, many of us from the
average fitness enthusiast to the
high level competitors. Going to
the gym, preparing your meals, and
staying on top of this lifestyle can
almost be like a part time job. Not
to mention, many of us still have all
the other responsibilities that
regular society does. Our
subconscious mind does not know
the difference between being
chased by a tiger or being stressed
out because you’re caught in traffic
and your preworkout kicked in.
When we are stressed, the body
does not digest foods well and is
not worried about building any
muscle.
This occurs when our
body is put under stress.
It essentially starts
getting ready for an
emergency mode. Our
heart rate speeds up, our
strength is increased,
and a lot of our bodily
functions are slowed
down such as our
bathroom needs. Our
body goes into this
mode to essentially run
away from a tiger or
survive in a life or death
situation.