Five Health Hacks…
Life can be a crazy, confusing mess sometimes. It can be hard to prioritize things, including those things that are very important to us, such as our health. The blog today provides some excellent “health hacks” to help you on your journey. Even if you only adopt one or two habits, it can make an immense difference and can help snowball into even greater success. Without further ado, the list:
1. Use a habit tracker
“The chains of habit are too weak to be felt until they are too strong to be broken.”
Habits are critical to long-term success when it comes to health, so starting with a “hack” on how to better establish those habits is a no-brainer.
While tech often plays a huge role in our lack of success (see Digital Detox below), we can use it to our advantage with production-based apps. There are several habit tracking apps that can be used as effective tools to keep you accountable (of course you can do it the old-fashioned way, too). Consider looking into the following:
Habitify - this one tracks a lot of data and is intuitive to use. You basically tell it what to track and it will give you reminders at intervals you choose. It does a nice job of tracking your performance over time to allow reflection on your behaviours and better figure out strategies that will work for you.
Habitica - this one takes a stab at making your habit tracking a little more fun. Gamers are the target audience here as your habits are used to simulate a role-playing game (RPG). You create an avatar/character and you gain levels, get new gear, collect pets as you accomplish your goals (i.e. the habits that you set for yourself). It even has a party feature where you can join up with others to overcome big monsters (by completing your tasks).
Beeminder - this one puts your money where your mouth is. When there is skin in the game we are far more likely to follow-through and it is even more effective when there is a genuine “cost” to failing. With Beeminder, you set your goals and if you veer off track you will be charged money. You have the ability to “reset” or back out, but the idea is following through with your personal commitment and being accountable. Naturally, this harsh approach works.
2. Digital Detox
We know that technology can do amazing things but most of us also recognize how technology can take away from our “presence” in the world in front of us. By being connected 24/7, we lose the ability to see what’s around us and the importance of being bored. By distracting us and filling up all those “voids” it is easier than ever to stay in our “funks” and it becomes harder to make positive change. Here are a few basic tips to help you “disconnect”:
Set time boundaries/follow a schedule: set up tech-free hours, stay away from it during meals; add activities that are tech-free in your daily life
Use your phone with purpose: only use your phone when there is a specific “why;” don’t use it for mindless browsing or seeking entertainment. When you are waiting for something, refrain from checking your phone. Try to be in your own head and see what happens
Set up a physical barrier: if you find yourself continually checking your phone, find a spot where you can store it at home that isn’t readily accessible
Try to re-engage with non-digital media: books, comics, journals, etc.
Use your phone to help you be accountable (check out Mark’s blog, Productivity Hack: Part I).
“Even the technology that promises to unite us, divides us. Each of us is now electronically connected to the globe, and yet we feel utterly alone.”
3. Hara hachi bu
Hara hachi bu is a Japanese term meaning, “Eat until you are 80% full.” It originates from the Okinawa region in Japan, a “blue zone,” where people are recognized for living extraordinarily long and healthy lives. Okinawans over the age of 65 have the world’s highest life expectancy: men are expected to live to ~84 and women to ~90 years old. They suffer only a fraction of the diseases that kill Americans: a fifth of the rate of cardiovascular disease, a fifth the rate of breast and prostate cancer, and less than half the rate of dementia [1].
“Gluttony and Lust are the only sins that abuse something that is essential to our survival.”
Hari hachi bu takes practice but the thousand year history of success tells us that it works. Here’s a few tips to get you started:
Rather than stopping when you think, “I’m full,” stop when you think, “I am no longer hungry.”
Eat slowly. Give your body the opportunity to communicate to you that it has eaten enough. We often think we need to eat more and, naturally, eating fast encourages this behaviour.
Be mindful when you are eating: focus on the food you are consuming. Don’t eat while watching TV or doing other activities. You will enjoy it more and eat less.
Use smaller dishes. Serve yourself on a smaller plate or bowl and don’t allow yourself to go for seconds (or thirds!).
4. Body weight workouts
When we think about health it’s hard to not recognize the important role that exercise plays in our holistic picture of wellness. Unfortunately, despite this recognition, physical activity is hitting all-time lows globally, with the World Health Organization (WHO) finding that over 80% of adolescents are not getting enough exercises [2]. A scary thought when we reflect on the importance of establishing habits. We know, also, that being physically active is more challenging as we get older as we tend to have more and more external commitments that fill up our time. So, how can you ensure you make it a part of your life? Body weight workouts can be the ideal solution.
“A 30-minute workout is 2% of your day.” -Someone pretty smart
Body weight programs are convenient. They can be done anywhere and require little to no equipment.
Body weight programs are inexpensive. As noted above, they require little to no equipment. Often a few dumbbells and potentially a pull-up bar or TRX-suspension band is all you need.
Efficient. Exercises tend to be full-body, compound movements that lend themselves well to circuits and programs that require minimal time.
Functional. One thing we carry around every day is our own body. Training with bodyweight movements prepares you for everyday life. People may love bench press, but unless you make a habit of getting crushed by heavy things while lying on your back, it’s not a very useful movement for daily life.
Modifiable. Regardless of fitness level, you can find an exercise that is appropriate for you. Here’s a few examples of how we can progress some of our large compound movements (starting with the easier variations and working our way up… there are actually many other levels in between as well!):
Squat → Increase depth → Jumping squat → Single leg squat (partial depth) → Single leg squat (full depth) → Jumping single leg squat
Pushup → Wall pushup → Countertop pushup → Coffee table pushup → Knee pushup → Full pushup → Power pushup (think clapping pushup) → Single arm pushup
Pullup → Assisted (i.e. various options including using legs or band to help at variable levels) → Eccentric (lowering phase of movement, can also be scaled) → Full pullups → Single arm eccentric pullups → Single arm pullups (believe it or not, people can do these!)
5. Be curious: learn something new
There are many benefits to learning new things, including better health. Every day presents an opportunity to broaden your horizons and learn something: use the opportunity! Here are some of the things that learning can do for you:
It literally rewires your brain--neuroplasticity, the ability for your brain to physically change by establishing fresh connections between neurons, is fast-tracked (in a positive way)
It can fight dementia--as physical exercise helps keep your heart healthy, mental exercise helps keep the brain in shape. So challenge that brain and keep it fit!
Benefits your memory--when we learn new things they are often linked to our memory centers and require us to “flex” those muscles, improving our capacity to recall information
Learning new things snowballs further learning--by learning we make new connections and are better able to make connections with other, new material
It fights boredom--learning is exciting; rather than scrolling through a newsfeed, think about something else you could be doing (i.e. learning!)
“Education is the kindling of a flame, not the filling of a vessel.”
When we think about potential health hacks, the five listed above only touch the surface but hopefully help inspire you to think about your health in a different way and offer something that you can add into your life immediately!
Actions, not words, define who we are.
-Tyler