Definitions are wonderful supporters of humanity’s health and wellbeing. Why? Because clear definitions assist good thinking — and good thinking should translate into good action.
While researching the definition of definition, one of my favourites stood out — for obvious reasons:
"The condition of being definite, distinct, or clearly outlined:
His biceps have great muscle definition."
While definitions are definite, distinct, and clearly outlined, they still leave plenty of room for personal interpretation. Just as the law is not always a command, a definition is not always absolute.
This preamble is probably my way of justifying the following piece of health advice. While Doctor Google and Doctor Wikipedia may sound very certain, some primary health providers might show a little more caution. Human factors still play a part in medicine — a field that, despite modern pressures, remains both a science and an art.
The Muscles We Live By
There are three types of muscle in the human body: cardiac, skeletal, and smooth.
The human body contains around 600 muscles, including 43 in the face alone. Judges likely have no trouble exercising their facial muscles, with expressions ranging from boredom to exasperation, frustration, annoyance, and — on occasion — great delight.
It’s difficult to measure exactly how many calories these facial workouts burn, but one study suggests that laughing burns around 50 calories per 10 to 15 minutes — or about 5 calories for every minute of laughter.
Perhaps judges know this better than anyone, which is why they deliberately frown. After all, frowning uses 47 muscles, compared to only 13 muscles for smiling — and judges are certainly not ones to shirk hard work!
What About the Other 557 Muscles?
The other 557 muscles under our control often don’t get the attention they deserve. We need to make a real effort to stretch and strengthen all of them. As sports science evolves, training is becoming increasingly targeted to work specific muscle groups.
It’s a curious paradox that some patients present with muscular imbalances caused by such targeting — but it’s equally satisfying when the right prescription of targeted exercise relieves their pain and improves their performance.
A Closer Look at the Muscles
Skeletal muscles
These are the striped or striated muscles that connect bone to bone. They are voluntary muscles — meaning we consciously command them to move. Much like a defendant just found guilty, they usually obey orders (mostly).
Cardiac muscle
Cardiac muscle is also striated, but it’s regarded as a specialised form of smooth muscle. By definition, cardiac muscle is involuntary — it keeps beating regardless of our decisions. Even when we sleep, our heart muscle disobeys any orders to stop and continues its rhythmic lub-dubbing, keeping us alive.
Smooth muscle
Smooth muscle is entirely involuntary. Its primary role is to help hollow organs contract — including the bladder, uterus, and the organs of the gastrointestinal tract. Smooth muscle cells also assist the eyes in maintaining focus.
In the digestive system, these muscles push food along, and when vomiting occurs, they help propel food upwards into the oesophagus. In the urinary system, smooth muscle contractions push urine out of the bladder. When a woman gives birth, smooth muscle contractions in the uterus help deliver the baby.
Smooth muscles also regulate blood vessel diameter — contracting to narrow vessels or relaxing to widen them.
The Art Behind the Science
All of this might seem definite, distinct, and clearly outlined — leaving little room for debate. But within the science of medicine lies the art.
We might not have direct control over our involuntary muscles — but our thoughts influence our heart rate. We’re born with no bladder or bowel control, but to our parents’ delight, we learn this essential life skill. Unfortunately, many of us will revert to losing that control later in life — at which point, our children (rather than our parents) may be called to assist.
Mastery Over the Involuntary
The good news is, we can achieve considerable mastery over our involuntary muscles. How? By:
Doing pelvic floor exercises
Maintaining a balanced diet
Not smoking
Minimising alcohol consumption (as chemicals affect involuntary muscle)
Practising meditation
Or, of course, we could simply rely on fate, and hope there’s enough quality of life left for judges to remain smooth operators — in every sense.