11–20 of 34 posts
Additionally I have invested in a small home gym setup (bench, adjustable dumbbells, and a yoga mat) and followed Matt Might's least-resistance philosophy approach to muscle building [1].
1. Mostly cook your own meals, eat mostly vegetables, fruits, nuts, some dairy (milk, cheese), maybe rice, and meat. Learn to use various spices so even if you cook bell pepper and onion and chicken three days in a row, it all tastes different. This requires 2. Walk or cycle everywhere you can, take the stairs and not the elevator (though if in a high-rise this may not be as reasonable). You have to think, not just act, this is a time to do that.
3. Don't skip exercising. Look into HIIT if you're truly time constrained, it's about the best bang-for-the-time exercise approach out there. Focus on bodyweight if you don't have time for weightlifting or other exercises. For a couple years I pretty much just did crunches, pushups, squats, and dips for 10-20 minutes each day. I wasn't the fittest I've ever been, but I wasn't bad off. Your back will thank you, too.
4. Sleep well, getting too little sleep is a surefire way to exhaust yourself and ruin your ability to make critical decisions.
5. Drink primarily water, for caffeinated drinks avoid sugar.
The food and exercise take up < 1 hour a day. Walking and cycling can actually save you time if the alternative is a short drive + parking. And you can always think while doing these activities. If you have underlying health issues that impact any of this, find alternatives or consult a doctor, don't let illness and injury persist if they can be resolved.
It's boring, but stay hydrated!
If you are sensitive to being hyper/attention deficit with caffeine but still feel like you need it consider taking it with l-theanine.
If you find yourself relying on caffine and you want more control, stop drinking coffee or soda and take pills/measured powder doeses. It's taboo, but you want to isolate it from the conditioning of the ritual/taste/mouth feel. If it turns out you really want those things there are ways to get them that are healthier and often they are just as powerful as the drug itself.
Be intentional with your daily habits. It doesn't matter what you do, but daily rituals have a lot of power over establishing your attitude and mindset. Be mindful of what your habits cause in you, and change them if you don't like it.
Caffeine and other addictive stimulants will require escalating dosage with time. You can quit every few months to partially reset that. Returns diminish and if you find yourself here, rethink your life.
By default, if you feel weary rest for a few minutes then re-evaulate. If you never let the endorphins wear off you never know how badly you have hurt/worn out yourself. This goes for a lot of things, take a few minutes sit and be mindful to see what your body needs.
Keep up your core strength. You need it for everything and it saves your back.
If you take a hard spill/fall. STAY DOWN for a few minutes if it is safe, until your heart rate falls down and you can actually take an inventory of your body without endorphins running through it. This will consistently result in injuries being less severe. You can do a lot of extra damage to yourself while endorphins are painkilling you.
Dehydrated brains make bad decisions.
Additionally, grip strength training has helped me a lot preventing wrist RSI.
I sit in front of a 10,000 lux light box for about 30 minutes at the start of each morning which has profoundly improved my mood and overall happiness. There’s a ton of evidence for the use of light therapy to treat Seasonal Affective Disorder (a form of depression that hits in the winter months) and emerging evidence pointing to its efficacy year round for mood enhancement and circadian rhythm regulation. And as lon…
Where did you buy/how did you make your lightbox?
... can also use it while driving.
I’ve had poor posture all of my life and learning about transverse abdominis activation has been the most useful for correcting it, particularly anterior pelvic tilt. That and using standing desk periodically through the work day. I also keep my guitar next to the desk, picking it up and playing helps me snap into better posture. Additionally, grip strength training has helped me a lot preventing wrist RSI.
A "Half Round Foam Roller" is indispensable to bring rear-arching flexibility to any part of the spine. Lie on it in bed after spending hours sitting. Have it placed against the lower spine. It can even be used lengthways along the entire spine. ... can also use it while driving.