The Fitness Factor of Flight

by Bob and Liz Johnson
Spring 2004

The one area in which all health experts agree is the need for exercise.

It seems their advice has been heard, because health spas and gyms today are almost always full of individuals who work out regularly. They find it helps them look and feel their best…. plus it’s exhilarating and fun, both physically and socially. In a report from the President’s Council on Physical Fitness it is stated that on average, people who are active are healthier and live longer than those who are inactive.

It has been argued that birds in the wild use flight to escape from predators, locate and establish breeding sites and territories, locate food, and find safe roosting sites and that since these are no longer necessities in captivity, parrots in captive situations do not need flight. Two factors that are often overlooked are that

• parrots do fly for the sheer fun of flying, as we have witnessed in our free flight habitat, and
• the physical fitness factor, which may actually be a positive side effect.

The need for vigorous exercise, while important for humans, goes double for birds. They have been gifted with a metabolism and body structure designed specifically for flying, which is probably the ultimate in aerobic exercise. Dr. David McCluggage, DVM states in his book, Holistic Care For Birds, that if a bird cannot fly, its cardiovascular system won’t work hard enough to remain healthy. Other research has shown that birds’ air sacs work differently and more efficiently in flight. Birds who are permitted to fly have markedly more developed chest muscles as well as healthier and more efficient cardiovascular, respiratory, and immune systems. The psychological benefit derived from the joy and elation experienced in flight is a strong immune system enhancer as well.

The lymph system is a major component of the body’s immune system. Lymph nodes produce immune cells (such as lymphocytes, monocytes, and plasma cells). They also filter the lymph fluid and remove foreign material, such as bacteria and cancer cells. When bacteria are recognized in the lymph fluid, the lymph nodes enlarge as they produce additional white blood cells to help fight infection. The lymph system is stimulated only by muscular contraction and relaxation, as it, unlike the cardiovascular system, has no pump of its own.

Every organ of the body is benefited by exercise. According to the U.S. Department of Health, most of the major chronic diseases can be prevented or improved by regular exercise. Even the brain requires both physical and mental exercise to fully develop and studies have shown that just a lack of physical exercise will result in a lower I.Q. Exercise is essential for normal skeletal development as well as attaining and maintaining peak bone mass.

We think of exercise as muscular activity but, although it is the contraction of muscles that create motion, the muscles are attached to the bones and it is the bones that must support the resistance of the motion. Nature has devised a method to enhance bone strength with the same exercise that is developing muscular strength. Bones are not as rigid as they appear to be and when they are stressed they tend to flex a tiny bit. This minute motion generates a tiny electrical current, called a piezo electric effect, that creates a magnetic attraction for the calcium and related nutrients that are needed build greater bone strength.

To say that a bird gets enough exercise from playing with his toys and climbing around his cage is like saying people get sufficient exercise walking from the couch to the refrigerator. There are people who will argue that some birds, especially some Amazons, are sluggish and prefer not to move much. This merely shows that these birds adapt to inactivity as readily as some people adapt to the couch potato syndrome. This behavior in no way implies that inactivity is natural or healthful.

This is not to say that a bird or human who may be handicapped and who lives a sedentary life with little or no exercise cannot experience health and joy. Other factors are involved in good health as well, such as good nutrition and a positive mental and emotional attitude. We are talking about optimum health here. No one can argue, however, that a person with toned muscles, fully functioning cardiovascular and respiratory systems and a fully functioning lymph system would not be in better health physically than a shut-in. Additionally, a handicapped bird or person can engage in modified forms of exercise to fit their individual situation. We have an African Grey who has a broken wing in which the bones never fused properly. The injured wing does not give him a lift for flying, but he can still flap it from the shoulder. He frequently hangs onto the outside of a cage and flaps both wings vigorously.

Our experience as aerobics instructors and physical fitness trainers has made us acutely aware of the health and psychological benefits of vigorous exercise for our students. We have seen the same positive changes, both physical and psychological, in our birds when given the opportunity to fly.

Some years ago we received an Orange Winged Amazon who was severely obese and came with an array of veterinary reports about his fatty tumors. Obviously he could not fly well at first, but had to be introduced to flight slowly and gradually. As his flying ability increased, his obesity decreased and the fatty tumors finally disappeared altogether. He ultimately became a toned “athlete”.

Another Amazon that came to us was frequently wheezing. He didn’t have the stamina to fly much at all, due to years of confinement as well as his respiratory problem. After several months in the fresh air and with increased flying ability, the wheezing stopped altogether and he finally got a clean bill of health from the veterinarian.

Then there was Max, a gorgeous Blue and Gold Macaw that had been rescued from a very bizarre situation. He sat in the wildlife rescue center for some time, waiting for his former owner to claim him. He soon began manifesting all the symptoms of depression. When no one claimed him and he was placed in our sanctuary, he was very dejected and obviously depressed. He was not yet ready to be placed in the outside habitat, but spent much of his time wandering around the house in a “lost soul” fashion. As he gradually began to show signs of interest in other birds and flying, we would place him in the habitat for short periods of time. He would go into one corner and emit a haunting sound, much like a woman wailing. As his time outside increased, he began flying a bit. His first flight was directly into the enclosure wire. One of our other Blue and Golds began showing an interest in him and it wasn’t long before they began preening one another and flying together. It was a match- made-in-heaven and they have been inseparable for the last sixteen years. The depression is a thing of the past, and he has become an accomplished flyer and an incredibly mellow and loving friend to everyone.

On the psychological side, exercise can relieve emotional stress and anxieties by reducing the biochemicals released in the body during normal times of stress. It causes the body to produce endorphins, chemicals that cause a relaxed, peaceful state of mind, thus relieving depression. Vigorous exercise also makes one feel more energetic and alert. This improved physical and psychological state derived from exercise can make people and birds feel good about themselves and thus create a positive self image. Since flight is the major form of exercise for a bird it therefore contributes to their happiness, which is one of the greatest gifts we can give our birds.

Dr. Theodore Barber's book, The Human Nature of Birds (page 167) tells us, "Birds not only use flight as a natural means of locomotion, but in beautiful forms as a means of expression. Many species spend hours of the day in the recreation of flight as others spend hours in song. Flight is an art akin to music, with rhythm and feeling of movement as its foundation, a glorious means of expression that birds know well how to use." Birds were designed to fly and flight muscles, like all other muscles, tend to atrophy when not used for long periods.

Recent research has indicated that one’s perception of his own fitness can contribute to one’s self-esteem, relief of depression, life expectancy and even to the improvement of many physical aspects of the body. The key factor of this statement is that it holds true even if that perception is not totally accurate. This would indicate that if a bird has the ability to fly as well as the opportunity to do so, the perception that he has of himself would improve both his psychological and physical health somewhat even if he didn’t fly very much. Of course, this improvement would be many times greater if the perception were based on a real improvement in fitness.

Psychologists tell us that one of the major causes of depression is the feeling that one has no control over the events in his life. A bird in a cage or one who cannot fly is a perfect example of this situation. One of the things that visitors to our habitat often comment about is the fact that our birds don’t bite. We feel that this is because they know they have the ability to fly away if they feel threatened. These birds are self-directed and are able to make their own decision as to whether they fly to us or away from us. Our major problem is trying to convince some of them to fly away when everyone is trying to land on us at the same time.

So even if space does not permit a large flight area, simply giving a bird psychological space within the confines of a home and allowing him to fly even short sprints can contribute greatly to his physical and emotional well-being.