Get yourself a prescription to nature. It’ll improve your mental and physical health. That’s according to doctors in Scotland who are recommending that people in the Shetland Islands get outside. The program outlines a recommended outside activity per month. For instance, in January you can create a windsock to grasp the full power of the […]
Tag Archives: exercise
Yet more evidence that standing at work is better for you than sitting
A recent study done by researchers at Tel Aviv University validates standing desks. Not only is standing better for your health, it also strengthens your focus. This is because the stress of holding your posture improves selective attention. The Stroop effect The researchers had university students alternate between standing and sitting while testing their reaction time to […]
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2018 is almost here. If you’re like most people, you’re looking to start fresh in the new year. Start small When it comes to starting new habits, people aim too high. The trick is lowering the barrier to success to make it feel like you’re winning. That could mean one push-up or walking at least […]
How to practice effectively
Everything is practice. Practice is everything. “Practice is the repetition of an action with the goal of improvement.” Biologically speaking, practice strengthens the neural tissue, specifically the fatty substance myelin which enhances the runway for brains to communicate effectively with the muscles. The 10,000-hour rule of deliberate practice doesn’t necessarily guarantee improvement. The training needs […]
If you’re struggling to get started, do it badly
Perfection is the antithesis of inspiration; it prevents you from getting started. The trick to getting going is to do it badly. Be intentionally messy. Producing crap isn’t the end-goal. The point of taking small actions is to create enough momentum to feel like we’re winning. What sustains persistence are small improvements. You’re looking to […]
How to use ‘temptation building’ to get things done
How do you make a strenuous activity more enjoyable? According to Wharton School assistant professor and behavioral economist Katherine Milkman, you bundle it with something that’s rewarding in what she calls “temptation building.“ It goes something like this: “This means you would restrict your Netflix time to the same time you spend working out – […]
Crime and ‘Punishment’
When most people think of punishment, they think of negative consequences — jail for committing a crime or a lawsuit for tax evasion. However, voluntary punishment, like stress, can also have benefits. The US Marines have a saying: “Pain is weakness is leaving the body.” Sometimes you have to punish yourself to get better. You […]
Stairway to Heaven
If you can do it, always take the stairs. Not just because you get a little exercise and increase your Fitbit steps but also because of what it symbolizes: there are no shortcuts.
Smoke This
Sitting is not the new smoking. Smoking kills you outright. Sitting for long periods of time without moving will do the same. But sitting in 45 minute intervals and then getting up to take a five minute break will keep you just as healthy as standing all day at work, which probably has its own […]
The Walking Trend
Creative people tend to walk a lot. Walking refreshens the brain and stimulates ideas that may otherwise remain dormant while sitting in a chair. “Wonderful things happen when your brain is empty.” – Maira Kalman Studies show that walking is more powerful than meditation. Walking is clearly beneficial to both body and mind. It’s so […]
“For an urban walker like me, New York has become that rarity among American cities, where you can pick two points on a map and walk between them, without researching what areas lie in between. It is a remarkable, freeing thing.” — Anand Giridharadas
The psychology of workout music
Music helps us perform by taking over a vital piece of the task of moving, the rhythm travels in through our ears and down our auditory pathways to the supplementary motor area. There it joins forces with brain activity that is signalling when to move, helping us to keep pace by providing an external timing […]
Ask Well: How Often to Exercise
Endurance also fades if you skip exercising for too many days in a row. The same goes for just about anything else you do. The key is consistency.
Exercise and the Ever-Smarter Human Brain
Our brains were shaped and sharpened by movement, the idea goes, and we continue to require regular physical activity in order for our brains to function optimally.