When you need to build your muscles, you need to build your nerves. Therefore, you must do nerve strengthening exercises. Let’s go on a journey to learn about the effect of exercise on strengthening your nervous system.
In this Article
What is the Effect of Exercise on the Nervous System?
Aerobic exercise offers many known benefits to our health, including brain and nerve health, We will give you some of the health benefits of exercise on our nervous system:
- Helps to relax and sleep
- Lowers stress level.
- Helps relieve heart disease and other health conditions.
- Provides you with external stimuli that boost your brain activity.
Nerve Strengthening Exercises
There are three main types of exercise that are ideal for people with peripheral neuropathy: Aerobic exercises, balance exercises and stretching exercises.
Do not forget dear to do warm-up exercises before you do any kind of exercise. Because this will enhance flexibility and increase blood flow, It will also boost your energy and activate your nerve signals.
Aerobic Exercises
Aerobic exercise makes large muscles work, and makes you breathe deeply. This increases blood flow and releases endorphins, which act as natural sedatives for the body.
The best kind of aerobic exercise involves routine activity for about 30 minutes a day, three days a week. And if you’ve just started doing aerobic exercise, then try to exercise for 10 minutes a day.
Some examples of aerobic exercises:
- Brisk walking.
- Swimming.
- Cycling.
Also read: Cardio Exercise Types
Balance Training
Sometimes neuropathy can make your muscles and joints stiff and weak. Thus, balance training can help you build your strength and reduce your feelings of malaise.
Some of the most important examples of balance training are leg lift exercises:
- Side Leg Lift
- Stabilize yourself with one hand using a chair.
- Stand up straight with feet slightly apart.
- Slowly lift one leg out to the side and hold for 5-10 seconds.
- Lower your leg at the same pace.
- Repeat with the other leg.
Try this exercise without holding onto a chair when your balance has improved, and when you feel ready for the move.
- Leg Lifting
- Stabilize yourself using a chair.
- Lift the heels of both feet off the ground until you are standing on your toes.
- Slowly lower yourself.
- Repeat for 10-15 seconds.
Stretching Exercises
Stretching increases your flexibility and warms up your body for other physical activity.
Routine stretching can also reduce the risk of injury during exercise.
Watch the best stretching exercises on YouTube with trainer Sarah Pop-Fit
Nerve Strengthening Exercises – Hands Nerve
Hand and finger exercises can help strengthen your hands and fingers, increase your range of motion, and relieve pain. Try the exercises when you’re just stretching so you don’t feel tight. And remember, you shouldn’t feel pain. Start with this simple exercise:
Make a fist
- Gently make a fist and wrap your thumb with your fingers.
- Hold for 30 to 60 seconds, then release your fingers and spread them wide.
- Repeat with both hands at least four times.
Fingers extended
- Place your palms on a table or other flat surface.
- Gently spread your fingers so they are as flat as possible on the surface without putting pressure on your knuckles.
- Hold for 30 to 60 seconds, then release your fingers.
- Repeat at least four times with each hand.
Grip strengthener
This exercise can make it easier to open doorknobs and grab items without dropping them.
- Hold a soft ball in the palm of your hand and squeeze it as hard as you can.
- Wait for a few seconds and then let go.
- Repeat 10 to 15 times on each hand.
- Do this exercise two to three times a week, but rest your hands for 48 hours between sessions. Be careful not to do this exercise if the thumb joint is damaged.
Nerve Strengthening Exercises – Legs Nerve
Whether you are recovering from an injury or surgery, or you are an athlete and want to improve your strength, these exercises can help you. It is one of the exercises that is classified in the list of exercises to strengthen the nerves.
There are two types of muscles on the back of the leg, the gastrocnemius muscle and the soleus muscle.
The gastrocnemius muscle attaches just above the knee, and the soleus muscle attaches just below it. They are responsible for flexing the soles of the feet and pointing the foot and toes down. It also functionally raises the heel in movements such as walking, running and jumping.
Here you will find a gradual exercise for the muscles of the back of the leg, it focuses on strengthening exercises for the muscles. These exercises can also help reduce foot, ankle and knee problems. and does not require any special sports equipment. All of which can be done in your home:
- Nerve Strengthening Exercises – Leg muscles for beginners
Leg muscles exercise for beginners is a good exercise to start. Especially if you are recovering from an injury or surgery.
Foot Pumps
Foot pumps are a very simple leg muscle exercise to get the muscles working and to help improve circulation. It is ideal in the early stages after an injury or surgery.
- Lie on the bed with your legs straight.
- Point your toes down away from you and then pull both feet toward you as far as you can.
- Repeat up and down while pumping rhythmically.
- Spend about 1 minute doing this.
If you are doing this exercise after an injury or surgery, then try to do it every two hours. You can also perform this exercise while sitting, keeping your feet slightly off the ground.
Seated Foot Lift
- Sit on a chair with your feet flat on the floor and knees bent at right angles (90 degrees).
- Gently press your toes into the floor while lifting your heels as high as you can.
- Hold for 3-5 seconds and then slowly lower back to the floor.
- Repeat 10-20 times daily.
- To make progress with this exercise, put your weight on your knees or hips, like a barbell or a backpack with heavy books, so that resist resistance.
You can watch a video of Sarah PobFit talking about this exercise and its great benefits to the human body:
Standing Foot Lift
You should know dear, that standing and raising the leg activates the leg muscles against gravity to strengthen them, and exercise the muscles with the weight they carry.
- Stand with your feet on the ground, then hold on to a chair or a wall for balance.
- Get on your tiptoes as high as you can, keeping your knees straight and your body upright the whole time.
- Hold for 3-5 seconds and then slowly come down.
- Do 3 sets of 10 reps.
Remember, you aim to take your weight evenly on both feet. If this is too difficult at first, let your strong foot do more of the work, and gradually progress to as even work as possible.
You can progress in this exercise by either carrying weights or wearing a backpack containing heavy objects. so you have to resist more resistance.
Also read: The Importance of Right Breathing during Exercise.
Exercises to Reduce Chronic Nerve Pain
- Do you suffer from nerve pain?
Well, it’s time to get over it. Give chronic nerve pain a one-two punch with these simple exercises done at home, at work, and with friends.
Neuropathic pain results from a lack of blood flow to the heart, which leads to discomfort and pain all over the body. If you had the chance to relieve that pain and all it took was 30 minutes, would you do that?
Start living a more active life with these 4 filling and suitable exercises for all ages and levels. You don’t even have to sweat to see results, I promise!
Walking
Aim to walk for 30 minutes a day, five days a week, with a 20-minute workout beforehand. If walking is difficult at this time, then start small by walking to the mailbox or around the house.
Low Impact Aerobic Exercise
If kickboxing is not your favourite, spend an afternoon swimming or cycling. As both provide low impact to muscles, bones and joints. They also improve blood circulation.
Resistance Exercises
We’re not all body builders and that’s okay, whether you’re lifting five pounds, or do sit-ups or push-ups. Adding resistance training to your daily routine can of course increase flexibility and blood flow.
Stretching Exercises
Take a few minutes each day to stretch your arms, neck, and feet. And know that it doesn’t have to be long or strict. Where you can move your neck from side to side and up and down, or move your legs in a bicycle motion while sitting or lying down.
Make it your personal goal to try at least one of these activities. And remember, movement of any kind is better than none. Remember that your body needs to recover. And when you stay active, the blood continues to circulate and healing begins.
Take some inspiration from the tortoise and the rabit, it’s not the speed at which you go, but the determination to continue on the path you will reach the finish line.
Watch more stretches on YouTube with trainer Sara PopFit
The Importance of Nerve Strengthening Exercises
While the general benefits of aerobic exercise and stretching are well are known, increased movement and heart rate are important. Especially for people with peripheral neuropathy, as physical activity can improve blood circulation, which strengthens nerve tissue by increasing oxygen flow.
Greg Carter says: ”Immobility is a major problem with patients with peripheral neuropathy. It can lead to muscle atrophy (contraction) and extensor (loss of flexibility). In addition to a decrease in metabolism, which means less energy and a higher risk of gaining fat.”
”Not only does aerobic exercise improve physical performance, it also helps fight depression, maintain ideal body weight, and improve pain tolerance. Aerobic exercise also helps control blood sugar in people with diabetes and may reduce insulin requirements.”
A recent study from the University of Utah in Salt Lake City suggests that exercise and diet work together to reduce nerve pain for patients with impaired sugar tolerance and neuropathy.
Tips to Keep Your Nervous System Healthy
1. Providing the Nerves with the Supplies They Need to Transmit Messages
In order for the nerves to send electrical impulses, they need certain minerals, proteins and vitamins. Fortunately, foods that contain these nutrients are delicious. These nutrients include:
- Dark chocolate is rich in tryptophan, an amino acid that acts as a neurotransmitter, a substance that transmits a signal from one nerve ending to another.
- Calcium and Potassium, these minerals regulate the electrical impulses generated and transmitted by nerves. If the nerves are left to fire impulses unchecked, the person may suffer from epilepsy or other nerve diseases.
- Bananas, oranges, pomegranates and peaches are good sources of potassium. While milk, leafy green vegetables and eggs are rich sources of calcium.
- Vitamin B: Vitamins B1 – B6 – B12 help nerves send impulses from the brain to the body.
2. Nerve Protection with B Vitamins
Each nerve has a protective layer known as the myelin sheath. Much like the sheath of an electrical cable, it acts as insulation for the transmitting nerve. Damaged myelin sheaths have been linked to diseases such as Alzheimer’s, so it’s important for a person to keep up their vitamin B12 intake.
Vitamin B12 is found in beef, poultry, eggs and seafood.
Folic acid is a B vitamin that protects nerves from chemicals that can cause damage. This vitamin is found in spinach, pomegranate and beets.
3. Practicing Yoga and Stretching to Strengthen the Nervous System
When a person is stressed because of work, relationships, or a difficult commute, it produces an alarming amount of cortisol, the hormone that is constantly produced and that affects the nervous system to affect a person’s reactions, concentration, and memory.
An important part of yoga is breathing exercises and relaxation techniques, which activate the part of the nervous system responsible for breathing and heart rate. As a result, a person’s cortisol levels drop.
Regular yoga practice helps keep cortisol levels down, which improves the health of the nervous system and produces a sense of well-being.
4. The Pursuit of Well-being to Improve Nerve Health
Anyone can do exercises to improve the functioning of the nerves that serve muscles and other peripheral parts of the body. Increased activity in the peripheral nervous system strengthens nerves in the same way that exercise strengthens muscles.
A person can also use herbal teas such as green tea to stimulate the production of serotonin and dopamine. These hormones improve a person’s mood, focus, and problem-solving abilities. This is possible, thanks to the theanine found in green tea.
Your interest in the health of your nerves necessitates that you pay attention to exercises that work to strengthen the nerves. because the nerves are the building on which the body stands. I hope that you have benefited from this article about exercises to strengthen the nerves. Stay healthy my dear.
Frequently Asked Questions about Nerve Strengthening:
Do Push-ups Strengthen the Nerves?
Push-ups help strengthen many important muscles in the body. Apart from that, it strengthens the heart and abdominal muscles and strengthens the nerves as well. which makes it on the list of exercises to strengthen the nerves.
Does Walking Treat Nerve Inflammation?
Regular exercise, like walking three times a week, can help reducing neuropathy pain, improves muscle strength, and helps control blood sugar levels.
What is the Vitamin that Strengthens the Nerves?
Vitamin B6 or pyridoxine, as it supports nerve function by controlling homocysteine levels.
What is the Sign of Nerve Weakness?
Tingling and pain in areas affected by nerve weakness. Anxiety and depression. Weakened immunity. Fatigue and extreme exhaustion.
What is the Sport that Strengthens the Nerves?
As mentioned in this article: Aerobic exercises, stretching exercises and balance exercises
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