Why you should learn about anatomy and physiology – even if you don’t work in medicine or an allied health profession.

I strongly believe everyone should learn at least a little bit about the basic structure (anatomy) and function (physiology) of our bodies. There are many benefits of being a learned individual, particularly with regard to your own body. Literally everything we learn about ourselves – our anatomy and physiology – can be useful to us in some way, and we never know when we are going to need that knowledge. So here are a few reasons to learn some A&P - even if you are a lay person and have no plans to go into a medical profession.

1.) The most obvious benefit of learning about your own body is that you will make better decisions about your health. By being ignorant to how our bodies work, we are exposing ourselves to our own poor decision making and compromising our health without realizing it. These may not be existential threats, but our future selves will surely suffer these unintended consequences.

2.) Learning the basics of anatomy and physiology will also allow us to have more informed conversations with our doctors. Sometimes patients don’t know the right questions to ask about a diagnosis or an alternative drug therapy to discuss because these things are unknown unknowns. Pulling back the curtain just a little bit and learning more about our bodies will hopefully help us have more productive and informative conversations with our physicians.

 A cautionary note: sometimes learning a little bit about a topic can give us a false sense of confidence which tricks us into thinking we know more about a topic than we actually do – This is called the Dunning-Kruger Effect. This can manifest in the doctor-patient relationship as the patient thinking they know more than the doctor. This can be particularly problematic if there is a disagreement between the doctor and patient about the course of treatment and a falling out between the two parties. Even worse the patient may think they can treat themselves and end up wasting time, money, or worse seriously injuring or killing themselves through the wrong treatment or lack thereof. To avoid this as we learn about our bodies, it is important to stay humble and realize that we do not know everything. The physician-patient relationship is a working relationship that requires trust and good faith that each is doing their part. Learning about our bodies to lift the veil of our ignorance around health behaviors does no good if hubris casts a new veil.

3.) Understanding our bodies and how they respond to interventions like exercise are also very important. Knowing how to interpret what our bodies are telling us before, during or after a training session will allow us to adjust in real time. Pain or discomfort can be a signal to help us make behavior modifications to training if we know how to interpret the signal (i.e., location, type of pain, time course and /or when it arises during the movement etc.). Subsequent training modifications based on that signal can be the difference between getting back to normal quickly and getting seriously injured or spending an indefinite amount of time injured. Better understanding of physiology also means making better choices around refueling and recovery (i.e., nutrition and sleep). This has obvious direct impacts on exercise adaptations and physical capacity in a positive feedforward cycle.

4.) Another under-appreciated benefit of understanding how your body works is the sense of autonomy and intellectual self-mastery. This feeling brings a sense of confidence and self-awareness that is critical for building a fulfilling life.

5.) Finally, understanding basic anatomical and physiological principles combined with the critical thinking skills acquired during the learning process help us recognize misinformation when we see it and prevent from spreading it or falling for it. This is perhaps one of the most important elements of becoming well educated in the era of social media, where false information spreads more widely and exponentially faster than the truth. A well-tuned BS detector is a superpower.

These are just some of the reasons for learning more about yourself and how your body works.

Are there any I left out? I would love to hear them.

 Disclaimer: This article and the contents of this website are not meant to be used as medical advice. This material is only for educational purposes. If you are considering a change to your life, please consult your doctor before making a change.