Exercise

The Benefits

In addition to being the central tool in the maintenance of health and longevity, exercise and movement are an excellent avenue for playful expression and sensory enjoyment. The best, most effective kinds of therapies are those that one enjoys doing, and therefore practices daily. If we truly comprehended the anti-aging and neuro-protective effects of aerobic exercise, we would doubtless be inspired to immediately start engaging in regular physical activity.

The following are just some of the general benefits of regular movement, which would be considered a panacea if available pharmaceutically:

Reduces risk of heart disease, stroke, and diabetes
Reduces risk of breast, colorectal, and other cancers
Improves cognitive function, organisation, planning, and attention
Improves mood through stimulating release of dopamine, serotonin, GABA, and glutamate
Boosts immunity
Builds confidence and healthy self-image often coinciding with complementary positive habits
Builds bones, strengthens muscles, and reduces risk of falls/fractures
Improves sleep while decreasing anxiety

Neuroplasticity

As an ideal complement to iboga’s capacity to increase the brain’s GDNF protein expression, which reverses neurodegeneration (brain damage), aerobic exercise causes a significant increase in the BDNF protein, expanding the size of the hippocampus, the part of the brain involved in learning & memory, which usually shrinks with age. Interestingly, the stress hormone cortisol also shrinks the hippocampus, which is why people with anxiety, PTSD or ADHD diagnoses have such difficulty remembering things and functioning normally.

Also, the repetitive, rhythmic strides of certain exercises such as jogging induce an alpha brain- wave state normally achieved through meditation – the calm alertness when experiencing a “flow” state or being “in the zone”. This is enhanced by a decrease in blood-flow to the thinking centers of the pre- frontal cortex, effectively relaxing a busy, “chattery” mind and bringing awareness into the body, a powerful and intuitive symphony of functioning.

Exercise at Pangea

The exciting recent discoveries in sport and exercise medicine mean we now know how to work out more efficiently. (Try the 7 minute workout). Our philosophy is that exercise should be fun as well as challenging and, at its best, involves nature.

Your personalized daily program will be designed for maximum enjoyment, with you deciding the intensity level. It will include one or more of the following:

Walking/jogging on the beach
Jungle hikes
Personalised yoga classes
Swimming
Gym access
TRX (suspension body weight training)
HIIT (high intensity interval training

Additionally, arrangements can be made for stand-up paddle boarding, surfing, bellydance, pilates, and various martial arts classes, depending on the season.

Your body is the only permanent home you will have in this lifetime. It is truly a miracle of nature; resilient and regenerating, and unimaginably powerful, when fed and moved deliberately and consciously. Ease into some kind of daily playful activity, and notice how faithfully your body serves you, when you take care of it.