The Human Machine

Our bodies are amazing. They work pretty well for us. We usually don't have to think twice about breathing, moving, seeing, smelling, thinking, etc. Our bodies just do those things when we want them to. We demand a lot of our bodies for all of these normal processes, and our bodies don't require a whole lot in return. Just healthy living.

Oxygen comes into the body, gets to the lungs, gases are exchanged, the oxygen gets into the blood and gets to the rest of the body. Nerve signals constantly travel throughout the body smelling, seeing, and coordinating everything. Bones create support and structure, muscle fibers contract, relax, create movement and activity. Food is digested, processed and converted to useful energy. Waste products are excreted, temperature is regulated, and thousands of other chemical reactions occur to keep us going.

All of this without much complaint. We all have felt when our bodies don't quite work so well. We get sick, injured, bruised, or any other problem. It is during those moments when we realize how much we appreciate our human machine that works so spectacularly.

Ours is a machine that depends on us to maintain it. With regular physical activity our bodies can become more efficient. More blood can be pumped in less time. Muscles become stronger and healthier. Eating healthy foods can help our bodies get the energy they need to function properly. Illness and chronic disease can be avoided or delayed with good maintenance of our bodies.

With all that our bodies do for us, is it too much to ask that we take care of them?

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