Getting Enough Oxygen
As we know, the WCS – the
“Whole-Body Control System” (see “Whole-Body Control System” on this site) does
not “measure” the level of oxygen in the blood. It “measures” some other
parameters, which characterize sufficiency of oxygen and sets patterns of
breathing accordingly. As a result, it does not change these patterns immediately,
when the body needs more oxygen. It takes some time for the body to go through
the WCS Adjustment.
The body needs more oxygen intake, when
it begins intense physical activity, or when it needs to fight infection, or
when it starts operating in a room with a low level of oxygen, etc. However,
the body maintains its pattern of breathing, and this leads to low level of
oxygen, to detriment to the efficiency of the activity and to the health of the
body.
To some degree, we know
this effect and how to compensate for this inflexibility.
For example, before we start
running, we warm-up. This warming-up forces the WCS to adjust many patterns of
body’s activity to handle conditions and demands of anticipated activity.
The other example is
not trivial. Usually, people of advanced age do not move enough. This causes
the WCS to settle in a state, where any serious mental or physical activity is
not supported by WCS’s patterns of breathing, nerves activity, nutrients
transport, etc. To adjust the WCS, one needs to do systematically something
special. That requires knowledge and effort. In
many cultures, there are systems of exercises, useful for everyone, but
especially helpful for people of advanced age. They are not strenuous, but
require a lot of unusual movements. These movements stimulate the WCS
Adjustment, which prepares the body to handle higher level of mental and
physical activity.
Even more important is
such guided WCS Adjustment in a case of a taxing illness.
During initial period of the illness,
the WCS often stabilizes at a low level of breathing and
other body activities.
After treatment, we want the WCS to
switch into another state, where there is high level of oxygen consumption and
other body activities. Special exercises and special food could facilitate such
switch. However, the switch could be complicated and it is better to rely on
doctors to guide the treatment and recovery.
Alexander Liss 2/7/2021