Archives for posts with tag: health

#48 How sitting up ten times daily can grow a tower of health

September 4, 10 //
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It may be difficult to build a tower at once. Though to build one over two years is a realistic objective.

Building increased fitness each and every day by a modest amount of exercise is a simple process.

You don’t have the time to go to the gym/workout/exercise/whatever-else? I have found that, if I replace the time spent thinking about this with action, I can actually do a modest amount of exercise . The effect of the exercise rapidly accumulates over a number of days.

Why make the investment in exercise? The return on the investment is quicker recovery time if injured, and better ability to deal with the stresses of life.

The stomach muscles are responsible for many body movements and by doing at least ten sit-ups per day I enable the tower to grow daily.

After getting up in the morning I’ve only nine more left to do.

#47 Stretch each day to help an elderly person who doesn’t exist… yet

September 3, 10 //
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When young it seems like a time wasting activity. Stretching is known to prevent injury and is a simple way to carry youth into old age.

With time we slowly lose the flexibility we once had, (more…)

#46 Shave 100% of time off of the daily shave – shave every other day

September 2, 10 //
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Wet shaving with a razor every day can be a chore for men. Epilating is an option, though not many would take it.
Rather than scraping your skin as well as the intended hair, shaving every other day is another option to keeping your face scar free.
In addition to the direct benefits of being scar free, and saving time, the facial skin would obviously benefit from (more…)

#25 Why having a Blackberry is fruitful for digital health

August 12, 10 //
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I had a touch screen smart phone with great features, WiFi, bluetooth, you name it, almost an ultra mobile personal computer (UMPC) but have downgraded to an old model Blackberry.

Huh? Did I just move backwards in terms of technology, or is there a counter-intuitive reason that actually makes this a practical way of moving forwards? (more…)

#13 Tune your alarm clock to your body clock to start the day right

August 5, 10 //
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As mentioned in Life Hack #12, shocking your body into conciousness is not the best way to start the day.

Observe how long it takes from initially regaining conciousness to being fully awake, and adjust the alarm clock sound accordingly.

So if it takes five minutes to awake play a five minute audio track.

For example, in line with Life Hack #12 the audio track could be a farm yard. The track gradually increasing in volume, and possibly culminating with a cockerel crowing. A crowing cockerel is a natural noise acting as a fail-safe if there is a waking deadline.  I find it is less stress producing than using artificial electronic sounds.

Classical music has also been found to be useful in this regard.

Whatever track is chosen it creates a smoother transition into conciousness, and thus a better start to the day than would otherwise be the case.

#8 Connect with someone you love to achieve one of life’s most rewarding goals

August 3, 10 //
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From those who have died and been revived, been near Death and looked it in the eye I’ve heard it said that when you face such a time the only thing that matters is those who you’ve loved, and those who loved you. Not a lot else seems to be of any significance.
Bearing that in mind when not in such a predicament it would be sensible to spend time developing bonds of friendship which can easily melt away in the heat of a busy schedule. A very easy way to do that is to simply call them.
Don’t wait till you’re on your death bed, or on the milion dollar question to phone a friend. Make that connection to a higher goal.

#9 How keeping in touch with older family members can save your life

August 3, 10 //
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For the reasons described in the article of phoning a loved one [lifehack #8] the same would apply to maintaining contact with family. Perhaps even more so, since the health of particularly older family members are a glimpse into the future of your own health issues that are yet to emerge on life’s horizon.
Don’t be so afraid to pick up the phone and call when you think they’ll only talking about their aches, pains, & doctor visits. It can prove to be a warning to yourself to avoid actions today that would lead to such problems in future. Also, it may arm you with key information that could quite literally save your life in the years to come. Keeping in contact can hold great benefits for both of you.

#11 Get up on the sound of the alarm

December 30, 09 //
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What is the difference between the alarm going off in the morning and getting out of bed? For me it is the snooze time in between.
When the alarm goes off I’m still semi-concious and hit the snooze button for extra repose. So the time set on the alarm to get up is not the actual time I arise.
How do I get up at the set time? I could set the alarm earlier, so that after snoozing I’d be up at the time planned. However this is interpreted by a freshly awoken brain as “useful time when I should actually still be asleep”, and consequently it feels it is owed extra slumber than the snooze button will give.
The optimal solution is to arise on the sound of the alarm, yet my freshly woken mind is convinced that the one hour for morning tasks (allocated before I went to bed) can be accomplished in just half, which leaves the other half hour for snooze time.
Coersion, threats, etc, have limited impact upon the awoken mind. The most significant impact I’ve found is to bed down earlier the night before, which significantly increases my chances of getting up on the alarm. So changing me over time from a night owl to an early bird.

Hayfever? Where’s the hay?

July 20, 09 //
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Increasingly people in cities are succumbing to the symptoms of hayfever. My question is “Where is the hay?” There is less and less greenery in the city with each passing year as front gardens turn into driveways and rear gardens are decked. Granted, hayfever is not caused by hay and is attributed to the effects of pollen, but the point remains. The number of hayfever sufferers appears to be inversely proportional to the amount of greenery, which suggests to me that hayfever would be better called “pollution fever”.

I hypothesize that increased pollution is either directly causing the symptoms of hayfever, or accentuating the sensitivity to pollen.

Hayfever? Pollution fever more likely!

#1 Sleep to dismount a vicious cycle

February 24, 09 //
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Early to bed, early to rise. Makes a man healthy, wealth, and wise

Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.

“What does every man wish he had more of, but never knows when he has it?” says the Riddle.

“Sleep” replies the Answer.

I’ve come to think that battles of  “Morning commute rush” and “Groggy afternoon malaise” are won the night before, particularly in the time I go to sleep. The earlier the bedtime, the less likely the following morning would seem like a rat race, or the afternoon turn into a sleep-deprived stupor.

It is said the sleep hours before midnight are worth double those after, and I’ve found this has some truth to it.

However, there is a counter force that resists earlier bedtimes. Long work hours means there’s no evening to be had. So watching a late movie tempts to improve the work-life balance. Thinking laterally though, the long work hours may be shortened if adequate sleep is obtained the night before – as the better productivity results.

So the more sleep, the more likely this vicious cycle will get a puncture.