#vagaltone

it's called the vagus nerve and it's the longest cranial nerve in the body (a cranial nerve connects the brain and the parts of the body, especially the neck and the head).

so, what this nerve does is help us relax after a stressful encounter. also, this nerve has a "tone" and it's called the vagal tone. this tone represents the activity of the nerve. and if THIS TONE is high, then it means you can de-stress so much quicker than usual. it helps you relax.

so, what should you do to increase this vagal tone?

~ take cold showers whenever you can.

~ dunk your face in ice water (just basically expose yourself to the cold)

~ when you are sitting simply, take deep slow breaths — 6 breaths per minute.

~ sing when you can or just hum a song when bored. chanting and gargling also helps because vagus nerve and the vocal chords are connected.

~ meditate when you can

~ exercise, exercise, exercise (obviously)

~ and for god's sake, laugh people. laughing is so therapeutic because it can reduce your body's main stress hormone.

~ treat yourself to a massage

http://www.psych.usyd.edu.au/staff/jamesh/intro_to_vagal_tone.pdf

Vagal tone is the degree of activity occuring witht he PNS that changes the HR.  Vagus nerve inhibits HR by increasing PNS input aka maybe bradycardia.  Patients with lower vagal tone are more tachycardia.  

Vagus nerve experiences reflux reactions in response to physical stimuli such as COLD water on neck or abdomen.  

Heart rate is controlled by multiple stimuli brainstem; nucleus ambiguus, increased PNS input to heart via vagus nerve.  Vagal tone decrease heart rate by inhibiting firing rate of the SA no sinoatrial node aka the pacemaker of heart.  

Exaggerated vagal activity-  Vasovagal profround brady cardia due to increase of PNS activty and SNS withdrawl.  Combintation of slow HR and associated decline in PVR to produce presyncoe/syncope.  what stimuli, pressure on the carotid sinus may occur with a tight collar or with impact of stream of water in a shower.  Vomiting or coughing, valsalva maneuver straining at stool.  sudden exposure to cold water, prolonged standing via bezold jarisch reflex.  

Articles and Research. 

There is much research of articles out there related to vagal tone and different populations.  

1:  Effectiveness of the Valsalva Manoeuvre for reversion of suraventrical tachycardia by Smith et al.  2013 Cochrane Database Syst Rev.  

---First line thing to restore normal sinus rhythm (reversion) is the Valsalva Manoeuvre (VM) by increasing intrathoracic pressure for brief period, thus stimulating baroreceptor activity in the aortic arch and carotid bodies, resulting in increased parasympathetic vagus nerve tone.  3 RCT of 316 participants compared effectiveness of VM in reversion.  Reversion rates ranged from 19.4% to 54.3%.  Conclusion:  not sufficient evidence to support or refute the effectiveness of the Valsalva Manoeuvre for termination of SVT.  

Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia (RSA).  RSA is phenomenon where inhalation temporarily suppresses vagal activity and thus immediately increases HR and exhalation immediately decreases HR as vagal activity resumes.  HRV is the heart rate variability HRV.  

Social Implications on Vagal Tone: 

Psychosocial factors and HR variability in healthy women: Hortensen et al.  1999.  

Study looked at psycho factors and HR  with social isolation, anger, and depressive symptoms. They found that social isolation and inability to relieve anger by talking ot others were associated with decreased heart rate variability.  Depressive symptoms were related on to the LF/HF ratio.  age, menopausal status, exercise and smoking habits, history of HTN and BMI did not change the results.  

well hey, thanks! :) i must admit i'm not the most knowledgeable of people in regards to climbing gyms in toronto as i've really only been to two, one of which i stuck with for a good year and a half before my climbing time significantly decreased. however, i've got two in mind!

rock oasis: not everyone loves it and the location it's at currently was technically only supposed to be a tie-over until they were able to move elsewhere (which just so conveniently fell through, bastard luck), but it was the first toronto gym i went to so i've got a sort of affinity for it. it's in an old warehouse (as many are) with a very makeshift feel to it, lots of open locker areas with curtains to change behind, beamed ceilings and gorgeous open brick - my kind of place, if only for the aesthetics! all routes have lead climbing options and varying degrees of difficulty, they've very recently added a gigantic section to their previously existing bouldering section, there is a wall dedicated to self-balay, and the building itself is easily accessed by TTC. the only drawback is the size and low wall heights, capping at a mere 36 feet - fine for recreation but it won't do a whole lot in terms of endurance, and it can get pretty packed. this becomes especially frustrating during peak times when everyone is trying to fight their way onto walls (especially with groups of friends who commandeer a number at a time while sitting around chatting.... but ignore my commentary. it's all in good fun, and everyone jokes with one another), though an issue faced by most gyms and is easily avoidable if you've got time to go during the day - it's absolutely dead, and it's wonderful. the prices are pretty great if budget if your budget is tight, rentals are available, but bring your gear and a student card and you'll be ready to go at a pretty decent cost! aside from that, the place is colourful, the staff is great, so get your butt to RO and start climbing!

joe rockheads on the other hand is very different. gigantic, really tall walls, slick, white.... it certainly has a different vibe. it's a bit harder to get to, residing in liberty village alllllll the way at the end of a side street and inside an otherwise inconspicuous garage-looking door, but once you're inside you feel like you're in a very high end place. 22 000 square feet with fancy bathrooms, an aggressive bouldering wall, a well-thought-through layout with interesting wall shapes, it's certainly exciting. it was also apparently the first climbing gym in canada too, which certainly explains the high class. while they do eagerly welcome newbies, it certainly caters to more advanced climbers, the majority of the routes being on the higher ends, the ropes being considerably more static than i was used to on first climb, and the clientele certainly portraying a very serious vibe at times. (on one occasion, my group and i felt slightly looked down upon as clearly less experienced climbers, but so long as you don't mind a look or two there's nothing to worry about). the one thing i thought strange (though also unavoidable) was the sort of contradictory safety standards - like any gym, all new attendees are expected to pass a belay test, this one being particularly thorough, yet many of the routes are situated right next to beams that could seriously injure a person. (of course it's not impossible to avoid a collision, I couldn't help my heart rate from rising while climbing on a route that was swinging me uncomfortably far in a direction that could have swung me into a steel pillar.... aimed at my head. eep!). another thing that was a little on the scary side for me was the price - higher than i was used to yet not unreasonable with personal equipment, and you certainly get bang for your buck with this one if your endurance allows you to stick around. all in all, joe's is definitely worth a rendezvous, and will certainly make any climber swoon.

the only other place i could put on this list, however gently, is the toronto climbing academy. i can't reasonably say anything for or against it since i have never personally been (a couple friends and i have intended to for over a year now but have never managed the time to trek out with our rope and car to an area of town not easily accessible to us), but i have heard it's fantastic. the photos make the place look much more than simply exciting, and i'm still itching to make my way out there..... but perhaps when i'm a little more in shape.

if you made it this far, congratulations! novel aside, i hope that is at least somewhat helpful. definitely check these places out if you can, shop around to find a gym that suits you, or even take a peek at the blogTO reviews instead of taking a wild gamble - i found them to be scarily accurate, so you can be sure they'll paint you an accurate picture.