BODY. How To Tone Your Nervous System.
You can generally tell that person that trains at the gym regularly: Defined biceps. Chiseled abs. A toned tush. This is by-in-large the world’s definition of a sexy body.
I live for the day when the world sees just as much (if not more) value and sexiness in a toned, defined and trained nervous system. Heaven knows that we all are in need of it right now.
Our nervous systems are currently encouraged to be as untoned and flabby as possible. Keep the collective population in a dysregulated emotional state that manifests as anxiety, depression, sense of lack, not-enoughness, panic, division, loneliness, volatility, unrest, dis-ease, etc. I hate to be so cynical, but we are more profitable this way.
Can you imagine if we had a society of grounded, regulated nervous systems? From world leaders to students to the fast food worker - imagine. If I were in charge in school curriculae, inclusion of regular instruction and opportunity for nervous system toning would be at the top of the list.
Things wouldn’t be perfect, please don’t misunderstand. We are humans, after all. But we put so much emphasis and laud the physical aspects and feats of health, that the deeper mental and spiritual may be neglected or perhaps even proclaimed “woo-woo.” Over the years of my practice, the pattern I have observed is that when I really get to understand the source of my patient’s health problems, it is often rooted in the nervous system. From high blood pressure to depression to fatigue to diarrhea (I could go on), these patients are stressed and are not equipped with a trained nervous system to face the unnatural pressures and stressors of our modern world.
I give almost every one of my patients the same spiel on how our nervous systems are wired and how we can train it (if you would like to read it, see my older article Managing Anxiety). “You have to take your nervous system to the gym every day,” I tell them. Just like training for a marathon, your nervous system requires regular and consistent training sessions. It doesn’t work so well if you show up for the big race without having prepped. Same goes for any stressful event - if you have trained for it, your nervous system may not be online and in shape enough to handle things in a healthy manner.
And the great news? This gym requires no membership, no equipment and is totally free and can be done at your convenience. Perhaps that is part of the issue - it’s too easy and there isn’t anything holding one’s feet to the fire. Perhaps my patients I suggest this new “daily gym” habit rarely get it going because the only thing holding themselves back is, well … themselves.
Regardless, here is my Rx for you daily mental gym fitness: 20 minutes daily of mindful-based functional breathing. This looks like:
Focus: the breath is the only thing you are focused on, either 20-minutes in the morning or ten minutes twice daily. It is not to be combined with driving, showering, cooking or any other classic American multitasking (I have tried, believe me). Just as you enter in a gym for the physical body, a controlled environment for your mind is key. And for those who say, “I can’t meditate,” don’t think of this exercise as that. Think of this as observation. Observing your breath, your mind, and when your mind wanders, bring it back to the inhale and exhale of your breath.
Respiration: in and out through the nose. At a slowed pace (6-10 breaths per minute). Preferably the exhale longer than the inhale, but that will also come naturally and with time. Aiming for diaphragmatic breathing is also great (vs. shallow respiration), but no need to get too fancy at the beginning.
Consistency: if not daily, then at least most days of the week. And most tend to be strongest in their habits in the morning. My suggestion is to do so before you turn your phone on and get distracted.
What do studies show the end result of this practice? An elevated heart rate variability (HRV), which is scientific talk for a more resilient and adaptive nervous system to stress.
A 2022 randomized control trial concluded:
“Increased parasympathetic [rest and digest] and decreased sympathetic [fight, flight, freeze] activity were observed after practicing 20 minutes of resonance frequency breathing every day for four weeks. It also improved cognition and reduced perceived stress levels among young adults. It is recommended that young adults should practice deep breathing at the resonance frequency for a few minutes every day. This would allay anxiety and stress, improve their cognitive performance, and also reduce their cardiovascular morbidity.”
So while everyone floods the gym for January 2026, I encourage you to tone not only your gluts this year, but also your nervous system. Help make a statement that a toned nervous system is just as sexy as a toned tush.
Citation:
Chaitanya, S., Datta, A., Bhandari, B., & Sharma, V. K. (2022). Effect of Resonance Breathing on Heart Rate Variability and Cognitive Functions in Young Adults: A Randomised Controlled Study. Cureus, 14(2), e22187. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.22187
