Written by: Kusha Karvandi
Biohacking is gaining popularity every day, especially with all the biohackers seeking solutions to kill multiple birds with one stone.
When most people hear the word “hacker,” they think of tech wizards who break into computers to fix an issue or steal information. However, biohacking is much different.
Think of it as a person hacking into his or her own body, metaphorically, to optimize their potential – to become “superhuman.”
To better visualize this, imagine your body as a car. The brain is the GPS and it must create a clear map of where the body is relative to space and time. To do this, the brain coordinates information from three main “satellites”: your vision system, your vestibular (inner ear) balance system and your proprioceptive system (i.e. the body’s nerve endings).
The key to remember is that the brain will create a blurry overall map if you avoid exercise and sit in front of a computer for long periods of time, because they impair these systems’ abilities to work optimally together with the brain.
The short-term ramifications of a blurry map are pain, tightness, decreased strength and increased body fat (via increased stress hormones). This happens because your brain has a “bucket” (amygdala) where all stressors accumulate – postural stressors, mental stressors, digestive stressors, etc. This is known as your allostatic load. When you reach the threshold for what your brain can tolerate, you get a spillover. This spillover appears in the form of pain, tightness, decreased strength and increased body fat.
Starting to make sense? Yes? Then that means your efforts to increase flexibility by foam rolling are likely futile and your dieting efforts may actually be increasing neurological threats and therefore body fat.
To better understand these mechanisms, let’s explore the three systems.
The Vision System
The eyes take in refracted light and make sense of objects. They must work with the brain to do this properly. When people sit in front of a computer screen for hours on end every day, the eyes become strained. In a world where work tasks have evolved to take place more on computers, many people are feeling the effects of digital eye strain.
Some common effects are tired eyes, headaches, back pain, neck pain, difficulty focusing and stinging or burning sensations in the eyes. Instead of immediately going to the eye doctor, another option is to try some biohacking drills to alleviate the symptoms and prevent them from worsening.
One of the worst problems that can develop from not practicing drills to combat symptoms is frequent migraines. These types of headaches can be debilitating for some, but they may be manageable or even preventable with the right knowledge.
The Vestibular System
The vestibular system, associated with the inner ear, is responsible for spatial orientation. It helps people maintain balance and contributes to movement. Sitting in front of a computer and not exercising enough can contribute to improper vestibular function.
People who are starting to develop vestibular problems may notice a difference in hearing, feelings of dizziness, light sensitivity and ringing in the ears. Other symptoms can also appear.
Vestibular problems are often linked to vision problems, so a person may also experience ocular symptoms. One interesting fact is that traditional balance training methods such as using the Bosu or Swiss ball isn’t actually balance training at all, not to mention they wreck your strength output.
When you are on an unstable surface like the Bosu or Swiss ball, your brain loses spatial awareness, which raises your brain’s threat level and increases your startle reflex and decreases strength. Additionally, balance training requires head movement to stimulate your balance system (i.e. inner ear) and the Bosu and Swiss ball generally will cause your neck to stiffen (from the startle response), which negates your ability to move your head and actually develop better balance. Ironic, huh?
Now, unstable surfaces are not to be confused with unstable environments. Surfing, for example, is considered an exercise that takes place on a stable surface, but in an unstable environment. A stable surface allows you to be more 3-dimensional and move your head to stimulate your balance system.
The Proprioceptive System
The proprioceptive system helps coordinate muscle contraction based on information from the body’s nerve endings. For example, proprioception is what allows us to touch our nose when our eyes are closed. It is also responsible for making a person flinch after being startled by a loud noise. When people sit in front of a computer screen for hours on end or do not exercise, this system also suffers. Delayed responses can result in muscle dysfunction, pain and atrophy. The joints can also suffer as a secondary effect.
There are a few things to understand about this system.
First, the fitness industry currently focuses primarily on this system and neglects the holistic view of neurology. For example, if your right shoulder were hurting, a typical trainer or physical therapist would assume something is wrong with the shoulder, that you may have torn something needing surgery or that you may need to exercise the stabilizers around or near the shoulder. Neuroscience, however, teaches us better.
Neuroscience teaches us that pain does not equal injury and injury does not equal pain. Pain is an action signal created by the brain and in many cases is the result of a neurological deficit, which can be treated through training.
Studies actually show that over 60% of us are walking around everyday with a herniated disc in the lumbar spine or a torn rotator cuff and don’t even know it. This is why I get so frustrated when doctors are so quick to prescribe medication or surgery, completely underestimating the healing powers of neuroplasticity.
So, how would I approach this right shoulder pain scenario?
Train the right hemisphere of the brain.
Here’s why: There’s an area of your brain stem known as the PMRF (Pontomedullary Reticular Formation), which lives between the Pons and the Medullar and is responsible for muscle tone, blood pressure and pain inhibition down each side of the body.
So, if someone came to me complaining about right shoulder pain, I would actually be looking to do movement and exercise with the left side of the body (i.e. left knee circles) to fire up the right hemisphere of the brain, which then fires up the right-side PMRF to properly inhibit noxious pain signals in the right shoulder.
The funny thing is that most fitness professionals do the opposite. By training the right side of the body, they are actually firing up the left hemisphere of the brain – which is already overactive – which further inhibits the right hemisphere, making the pain problem worse!
Additionally, I would be more inclined to look at this individual’s vision or vestibular system to see if there are deficits contributing to a blurry map (which manifests as pain) and because the vestibular system has direct pathways to the PMRF on the same side. This means that stimulating the vestibular system (i.e. horizontal canal) on the right with head movement to the right could be a drill this person could perform to fix their issue.
The second thing to understand is something known as the arthrokinetic reflex, which basically means that jammed joints create weak muscles. In the parietal lobe of your brain, you have a significant amount of brain space, known as the homunculus, which is devoted to different muscles/joints.
Your hands, feet, face, lips and tongue take up the most space and have the most receptors because their tact are critical for survival. This is why I have my clients perform joint mobility drills such as ankle tilts and toe pulls during their warm ups, as they prevent the arthrokinetic reflex from sabotaging strength gains as well as open up the nerve channels of communication for better muscle activation.
The last takeaway about the proprioceptive system deals with the “core.” Everybody talks about the core and how important it is, but few understand the neurological reflexes and pathways that control it.
For instance, your midline cerebellum (lower back part of the brain) deals with midline structures like your “core” musculature. This is why trying to consciously contract your core when you’re having trouble keeping your core activated during planks or other lifts doesn’t work, although every coach is still yelling “keep your core tight.”
The reality is that your missing piece to better core activation may be a vision or breathing drill, which activates areas in your midline cerebellum, which then contributes to immediate activation of the core. Remember, posture is reflex. You shouldn’t have to think about good posture if your brain is getting healthy, consistent activation in the areas that reflexively control posture.
Powerful Drills
When a person starts suffering from vestibular problems, vision and proprioceptive issues often follow. The combination of the three means that balance is impaired and a person will experience several physical symptoms. When these systems do not function properly in the body, blood chemistry is worsened. A person’s muscle-wasting hormones and fat storage hormones increase and muscle strength is lost. The muscles and tissues also increase in tightness, pain signals begin surfacing and poor biomechanics take place.
Proper exercise is essential for any person who must sit in front of a computer screen for long periods of time. However, there are also several biohacks that are highly beneficial. The drills in the following paragraphs are very helpful. Use them to improve posture, strength, mobility and metabolism.
Before doing these drills, establish a baseline for yourself by testing your flexibility (i.e. toe touch or standing torso rotation) or a strength (i.e. push up or pull up). After each drill, reassess your baseline test to see if you gained strength or flexibility. If the drill makes you better, it is considered a high performance drill that you should do during your warm ups and if it makes you worse, it is considered a rehab drill that should be performed for 10 repetitions six times per day.
VOR
An abbreviation for vestibulo-ocular reflex, this drill involves holding a pen at an arm’s length, moving the head up and down and keeping the eyes fixed on the pen. Move your head from side to side in each diagonal direction and repeat the exercise while doing this. Complete three repetitions.
The drill is helpful for improving the spine’s alignment, overall posture and calf strength. The calves are positively affected due to the vestibular system’s vestibulospinal tracts that control calf activation (our legs are wired with your inner ear to help you remain upright and move properly).
Eye Circles
To perform this drill, hold a pen at an arm’s length. Move it in circles in each peripheral direction. While doing this, keep your eyes focused on the pen.
Since your brain is decreasing its threat level from an improved information source, this drill can greatly enhance flexibility and mobility. Your nervous system automatically relieves tightened areas of your body when your brain’s threat level is decreased.
Ulnar Nerve Glide
Start by holding your right arm in front of your body, but place your palm facing downward. Extend your wrist next and bend your elbow to bring your hand near your ear. After doing this, rotate your right arm out while tilting your head away from the body. Finish the glide by turning your palm upward in a rotating motion. Complete five repetitions of this drill.
When a tense feeling starts in your ring and pinky fingers, this is a sign the exercise is being performed correctly. This drill is a great solution for increasing grip strength.
Lateral Ankle Tilts
Stand upright and place one foot in front of your body. Tilt your ankle towards the outside and repeat this motion three times with each leg. This drill requires precision as you are trying to glide the talocalcaneal joint, which means the talus glides over the calcaneus. If you do it incorrectly, you are likely to see no result on your reassessment or a poor result (likely due to a jamming of the joint, triggering an arthrokinetic reflex).
Lateral ankle tilts are helpful for opening nerve channels and activating muscles in the posterior chain (backside of the body) as well as core musculature.
Three-Dimensional Breathing
Sit upright in a chair and lightly wrap a resistance band around your abdomen. Make sure it is touching the middle of your back and the lower portion of your ribcage. Take several deep breaths and try to breathe three-dimensionally into the resistance band.
When people breathe throughout the day, many actually hyperventilate without realizing this. Hyperventilation is bad for blood chemistry and organ function. When people sit in front of the computer all day, their upper backs are likely to lock up. This makes it difficult to breathe correctly. Complete several repetitions. However, some peoples’ brains increase the threat level with deep breathing, so plan to lie down after completing this exercise. Three-dimensional breathing is good for treating deferred organ pain.
Early Shutdown
This is more of a habit than a drill and it is a good one to develop. Since sitting in front of an illuminated screen all day is bad enough for the three systems and the brain, going home and winding down by watching television will only worsen matters. Plan to stop consuming caffeine in the early afternoon and try reading or just relaxing at home in the evening. Keep the television and computers off and minimize the amount of time spent on a mobile phone or tablet. Reducing caffeine intake and the amount of time spent in front of an illuminated electronic screen will result in better sleep quality.
Also, keep in mind most screens and fluorescent bulbs emit light at 60hz (60 cycles per second). When your pupils get light at this rate instead of constant light (i.e. natural light) it causes something called hippus (rapid pupil constriction/dilation). And since the eyes are highly metabolically active, this can leave you feeling extremely fatigued and can disrupt your natural Circadian Rhythms (sleep cycles).
Remember, every person’s health history varies as do their genetics and neurology. Some biohacks may be high performance drills for you, meaning they have an immediate improvement on performance, whereas others may be more rehab drills.
Always establish a baseline, such as a strength test or range of motion test (i.e. toe touch to test hamstring flexibility) and then retest after each of the above drills to see it’s affect on your nervous system.
If you see an improvement, then you know it’s a high pay off drill that you should integrate into your warm ups. If you see a decrease in strength or range of motion then you know this is a rehab drill that you must do several times per day to re-educate and re-train your brain.