An Introduction to the Autonomic Nervous System

This series is designed to introduce you to a portion of your nervous system that you likely don’t spend much time thinking about, yet it directly and dramatically affects every aspect of your health, fitness, and overall physiology—the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS). 

We need to start by recognizing the ANS as a fitness issue. Currently, 99% of our efforts to become more fit are directed toward somatic exercise (traditional types of exercise) and nutrition. While those are important, they’re only part of the story. Equally—or perhaps even more—important is how well our ANS is functioning.

The ANS is the part of your nervous system that controls the function of your internal organs, heart and blood vessels, lungs, gut, and bladder. It determines your blood pressure, heart rate, respiratory rate, sexual function, and bladder function, to name just a few.

One of the most intriguing aspects of the ANS is its role in cognition, dementia, and memory. 

Here's what we know:

• Activation of the Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS) focuses our attention which is good. Excessive activation of the SNS negatively affects memory recall, decision making, and causes anxiety.

• Activation of the Parasympathetic Nervous System (PNS) promotes creativity and long-term memory. Excessive activation of the PNS is associated with lethargy and depression. 

In this series, we’re going to talk a lot about balance. When your ANS is in balance, it allows you to function at your peak—mentally and physically. On the other hand, when out of balance, the ANS is a key driver of chronic diseases like cardiovascular disease, immune dysfunction, inflammation, and dementia.

I want to encourage you to start thinking about your ANS as a fitness issue. Fitness isn’t just about strength and speed; it’s also about your ability to develop strength and speed. You see, the ANS is upstream of the somatic nervous system when it comes to achieving these goals. By improving autonomic balance and reactivity, we can have a tremendous impact on our overall health and fitness.

So stick around. This series of blog posts will empower you in ways you probably never considered.