Purpose. Sound intangible? Even a little woo-woo? It鈥檚 not. Purpose can infuse balance into your day-to-day, help you understand what really matters (and learn how to say no to what doesn鈥檛), and leave you more time for those just-because passions. Plus, a growing field of research finds it is also a deep driver of both physical and mental health. Living a life of purpose can quite literally change the way genes are expressed in your body for the better.

In short: Purpose can help you reach your full potential. Fortunately, there鈥檚 a formula for finding it.

Find Your Gift

On a chalkboard in American marathon record holder Deena Kastor鈥檚 California home, there鈥檚 a handwritten Picasso quote: 鈥淭he meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away.鈥�

Ask modern day researchers for a scientific definition of purpose and you鈥檒l get something pretty similar to the artist鈥檚 interpretation: Purpose is a long-term intention that is inspired, at least in part, by a desire to make a difference in the world beyond the self, explains Kendall Cotton Bronk, Ph.D., an associate professor at Claremont Graduate University who studies it. 鈥淚t鈥檚 something that you care deeply about 鈥� so deeply that you鈥檙e willing to dedicate your own time, energy, and resources toward the pursuit.鈥�

Despite a culture that chases achievements and Instagram glory, purpose isn鈥檛 exactly defined by PRs. 鈥淚t鈥檚 often at the intersection of a special skill or talent and making a meaningful difference in the world beyond themselves where people find purpose,鈥� says Cotton Bronk.

Years ago, at the brink of burnout, Kastor started working with legendary coach Joe Vigil, who helped her learn how to train her mind. The style of thinking not only boosted her performance. It changed her life. 鈥淗e taught me that the value of what we have 鈥� whether it鈥檚 time, money, or knowledge 鈥� increases when we share it with others,鈥� she says. In 2018, she released the book : A Memoir of Thinking My Way to Victory.

鈥淗aving some truth that running has taught me means nothing if I keep it to myself,鈥� says Kastor. 鈥淣ow that my career is over, the value is in passing it along to others so they can grow from a new place and not have to reinvent the wheel.鈥�

What鈥檚 Your Passion?

Sometimes, passions help us find purpose. 鈥淧eople who care deeply about things are probably more likely to identify a purpose for their lives,鈥� explains Cotton Bronk. But 鈥榩assion鈥� is a buzzword that鈥檚 often wildly misunderstood, says performance running coach Steve Magness, author of The Passion Paradox.

鈥淲e have this misnomer of going and 鈥榝inding鈥� your passion and then thinking everything will take care of itself.鈥� Think about passion like jet fuel that helps point you toward your guiding star, a.k.a., your purpose, explains Magness. Running, for example, could be a passion that helps guide you toward your purpose. It could be the stress relief that allows you to go back and put in work on a project.

But passion is tricky. Philosophers often talk about two different elements of it: a constructive form and an obsessive form. If you鈥檙e dedicating every ounce of energy to something you鈥檙e 鈥榩assionate鈥� about, you can wind up burnt out or lost, wondering “what now?” when that passion comes to an end. If you鈥檙e passionate simply for passion鈥檚 sake without a purpose, it鈥檚 easy to get derailed.

That鈥檚 why passion works best in tandem with other things in your life. 鈥淏alance means having the ability to step away and be a realist,鈥� says Magness. 鈥淚t鈥檚 being able to decide how invested you want to be in certain things.鈥� (Read: It鈥檚 okay to not be the best at everything in your life, and certainly not all at the same time.)

See the Bigger Picture

For Olympic runner and three-time U.S. national champion Alysia Monta帽o, it was a deliberate decision 鈥� to have a career and a family 鈥� that helped her find purpose. 鈥淲hen you鈥檙e a singular person, especially in the realm of professional running, it鈥檚 this head-down grind,鈥� she says. 鈥淲hen I had my daughter, it allowed me an opportunity to see the world much bigger.鈥�

Looking through the eyes of her firstborn helped Monta帽o identify things that she didn鈥檛 want her daughter growing up thinking were normal. It led her to against companies such as Nike, exposing the sports industry for their lack of fair maternity leave and postpartum protection; working with companies that put mothers first; and starting a foundation that supports postpartum women.

鈥淢y daughter helped me realize that it鈥檚 not just about me, it really isn鈥檛. And I鈥檓 happy that way. I鈥檓 so happy that it isn鈥檛 just about me. I鈥檓 so happy that I chose motherhood, especially in this day and age where I think it鈥檚 really hard for women to choose motherhood.鈥�

Shortly after Monta帽o鈥檚 New York Times piece, Nike and other athletic brands changed their maternity leave policies for athletes 鈥� a piece of Monta帽o鈥檚 purpose puzzle. 鈥淚 want to give people ownership to make the choices they want to make. I want to be the voice that allows that person who is not able to quite grasp that see, this is my life and I deserve it.鈥�

But, Monta帽o knows there鈥檚 always work to be done. 鈥淢ost people do not fully achieve their purpose in life because purposes are generally more abstract than that,鈥� explains Cotton Bronk. 鈥淭here can be victories along the way that lead to a sense of accomplishment, but in general, the sense of satisfaction associated with leading a life of purpose comes from knowing you鈥檙e moving in the right direction 鈥� in a personally meaningful direction.鈥�

How to Find Your Purpose

Haven鈥檛 had a big 鈥榓ha鈥� moment? Narrow in on your purpose with these expert-backed tips.

Dabble. Not quite sure what you鈥檙e passionate about? Trying different activities (taking a photography class, finally learning how to garden) can expose you to passions and steer you toward purpose, says Magness.

Think Long-Term. Imagine what you want your life to look like in 20 years and why you want it to look that way. These two questions are thought-starters that help people dig into purpose, says Cotton Bronk.

Enlist the Help of Others. Send an email out to a coach, a friend, and a mentor and ask them to tell you how they think you鈥檒l leave your mark. 鈥淪ometimes the people who know us well have some inkling that can help illuminate the idea for ourselves,鈥� says Cotton Bronk.

The post How to Find Your Purpose 鈥� in Running or Life appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

The average person sweats between 0.8 liters (27 ounces鈥攁bout the size of a large Slurpee) and 1.4 liters (47 ounces) during an hour of exercise, says , Assistant Professor of Exercise Science at Fairmont State University. That鈥檚 equal to around one to three pounds of body weight per hour.听

The longer answer: How much you sweat varies depending on a slew of factors like how many sweat glands you have鈥攂etween 2 and 5 million; your resting body temp; the outdoor temperature; and the exercise you鈥檙e doing. The highly trained among us could lose even more fluids, too, says , co-director of the Exercise and Environmental Physiology Labs at the University of Oregon: about two to three liters per hour.听

To understand why that is you have to understand why we sweat in the first place: and that鈥檚 鈥渂ecause our muscles are actually very inefficient machines,鈥� says Ryan. 鈥淎bout 60 percent of the calories we burn during muscle contractions are lost to heat production.鈥� And the more calories we burn鈥攂y working out longer or harder鈥攖he more heat we produce.听

When perspiration on the surface of the skin evaporates, heat is lost and the blood is cooled, thus cooling our core body temperature. So athletes sweat more because they鈥檝e often become more efficient at lowering their core body temp, which keeps them from overheating, allowing them to workout out harder and longer.听

But know this: 鈥淪weat rate has nothing to do with the rate that you burn fat or calories,鈥� Ryan says. 鈥淎n individual鈥檚 perspiration rate is largely dependent on their genetic make-up and how their body responds to heat stress.鈥澨�

As the mercury inches up, it takes your body somewhere around 10 to 14 days to acclimatize to new warmer temps, he says. Your heart will adapt and work to improve cardiac function鈥攊t鈥檒l increase plasma blood volume, so your body will have more water in the blood stream that it can be utilized by the sweat glands to produce more sweat. This will also decrease the thickness of the blood so it can more effectively transfer heat through the surface of the skin, Ryan says.

After spending eight to 10 days into hotter weather, you鈥檒l start to see a change in muscle metabolism that allows your muscles to work more efficiently, which will decrease body heat production and lower core-body temperature, he explains. 鈥淎s you acclimatize to the heat, your body will start to shed fluids sooner [i.e. sweat]鈥攁t a lower body temp鈥攁fter the start of exercise.鈥澨�

But if you feel like you鈥檙e sweating buckets year-round, don鈥檛 sweat it: Some people simply lose more fluids than others. Men perspire more than women, for example, because they are generally taller and bigger, Minson says. Some that testosterone can enhance sweating response, too. Certain meds can also leave you dripping: 鈥淪ome anti-depressants and anti-anxiety meds, allergy medications, decongestants, and weight loss medications can increase sweat rate,鈥� says Ryan. Caffeine has a similar effect鈥攕o while a little bit of Joe can help improve performance, it could also be to blame for your pit stains.

听

The post How Much Am I Supposed to Sweat During a Workout? appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Muscle tone and weight control. For the past decade, these benefits have topped the list of reasons why we exercise, according to the on the fitness industry. They consistently edge out others鈥攍ike 鈥渇eeling good after鈥� and 鈥渋ncreased energy”鈥攚e can鈥檛 see in a mirror.听

That doesn鈥檛 mean we don鈥檛 care about the stuff we can鈥檛 see. We assume, for instance, that the effort to break a sweat leads to better cardiovascular health and a . And extra energy and happiness are still key benefits.听

But the breadth of invisible boons goes even further, affecting everything from our dating lives to our bowel movements. So the next time you鈥檙e stressing about a few stubborn pounds or a less-than-cut quad, focus on these six invisibly awesome effects of your efforts. We鈥檒l start with your pain tolerance.

1. You Feel No (or at Least Less) Pain

Think of pain in one of two ways: pain threshold, when you begin to feel it, and pain tolerance, the max amount of pain you can sustain.听听led a听听that found athletes have higher pain tolerances than average folk. He suggests that there are objective differences in central pain processing between athletes and non-athletes, though he鈥檚 uncertain if athletes acquire the ability to tolerate pain through training, or if they train because they already tolerate the pain well. What he does know: 鈥淗igher pain tolerance may be an important step for outstanding performance鈥� in your sport.

That heightened pain tolerance helps far beyond a workout or sports competition. Because of it, says Sims, smaller pain-inducers like day-to-day stress will have less of an impact on your life. It comes down to the mind-body connection. 鈥淎thletes 鈥榩ush鈥� their way through exertional pain and their brains learn suppression under stress,鈥� says Sims. 鈥淢oreover it is the mental strategies employed that aren’t even conscious鈥攑ositive self talk or听鈥攖hat lead to less perceived pain due to the want of the better outcome,鈥� she adds. Those skills transfer to other stressful encounters in life鈥攍ike traffic jams or conflicts at work.

2. Your Brain Gets Super-Charged听

When compared to less-fit peers, athletes have larger brain volumes in the basal ganglia and hippocampus, areas associated with thought, action, behavior, decision-making, and memory, says Sims.

That doesn鈥檛 necessarily mean you can exercise your way into Mensa. The relationship between brain volume and intelligence is hotly debated. While brain volume hasn鈥檛 been directly tied to intelligence (if it were, sperm whales would rule the world), to disorders like Alzheimer鈥檚, depression, and even schizophrenia, leading some to believe bigger is truly better, at least in health. And growing your hippocampus, studies have found, , or the memory of one鈥檚 environment, like the layout of your house or hometown.

One of the ways it grows is through endurance exercise, research shows. Exercise can trigger the growth of new nerves and synapses鈥攖he junction points between different nerves. A stronger network in your noggin means a better functioning brain.

How much do you need to workout to see those benefits? Not as much as you think. One found that 40 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise (60 to 75 percent of max heart rate) three days a week in older people increased brain volume by 2 percent. performed in older adults with mild memory impairments found that twice weekly, hour-long sessions of aerobic activity, like a brisk walk, increased hippocampal volume.

3. You鈥檙e Sexier鈥擭o Six-Pack Needed

Men鈥檚 sweat contains the odorless pheromone called androstadienone, a chemical believed to boost a woman鈥檚 mood and levels of cortisol, a hormone听. 鈥淎s it is derived from testosterone, it is a strong attractant for women,鈥� says exercise physiologist Stacy Sims. In fact, a听听found that women who were exposed to androstadienone before a speed-dating event rated men as more attractive than those who weren鈥檛 exposed to the pheromone.

Women also give off a pheromone called estratetraenol. Researchers believe it听, enhancing men鈥檚 mood and arousal, though the effects are less noticeable.听

Beyond pheromones, the improved circulation and cardiovascular function that come with exercise can lead to better sex. More testosterone means stronger erections too鈥攁nd increased physical activity has been linked with听鈥攊ncluding protection from erectile dysfunction. A听done on women taking antidepressants (known for dampening libido) at the University of Texas at Austin found that ladies were 169 percent more turned on watching an erotic film when they spun on a stationary bike for 20 minutes beforehand than they were watching the movie without exercise.

4. You Crave Healthier Food

鈥淢ost people know that exercise affects appetite, but many don’t know that it also affects food choices鈥攊n a good way,鈥� says Matt Fitzgerald, sports nutritionist and author of . Studies like in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition have found that an intense workout, like an hour of running at 70 percent maximum aerobic capacity, reduces the desirability of high-calorie foods.

Researchers believe the result may have to do with thirst. The brain may lower-calorie fare as being more water-dense, so that鈥檚 what it craves when we鈥檙e dehydrated after a workout.

It could also be that training鈥攃oupled with daily intense exercise鈥攈elps regulate blood sugar and hormonal hunger controls. 鈥淭here is also a large body of scientific evidence to show that athletes are also more aware of their bodies than sedentary folks,鈥� says Sims. They can distinguish things like muscle fatigue more easily and determine when hunger is really hunger, rather than, say, boredom.

5. Your Bowels Flow Freely

You can thank your workout for keeping your GI tract unclogged. During exercise, your intestines actually experience reduced blood flow, which slows motility. But the extra oxygenation and blood flow you experience post-workout keeps everything moving through your system, says Sims.

Why that matters: Poop problems are more than just embarrassing. Constipation can mean everything from hard-to-pass stools to vomiting. (Or rectal prolapse鈥攚hen part of your intestine pushes out. Don鈥檛 Google image that.) But the exercise benefits don鈥檛 stop at fending off a stomachache or an emergency bathroom run. 鈥淭he movement associated with running increases the transit rate of digested foods through the lower bowels, decreasing risk of colon cancer,鈥� says .

Just remember: You need to pair your exercise with healthy fiber and fluid intake. The for adults under 50 is 38 grams for men, and 25 grams for women. For men and women over 50, it鈥檚 30 and 21 grams per day, respectively. To put that in perspective, the average apple has between 4 and 5 grams of fiber.

When it comes to water, the recommends women drink approximately 2.7 liters (91 ounces) a day, while men should aim for approximately 3.7 liters (125 ounces).

鈥淎 dehydrated athlete who sits on a bike can get really constipated,鈥� says Lim. So drink up.

6. You Become Unbreakable

You build muscle by creating micro-tears in those tissues when you work out. While you鈥檙e resting, your body repairs those tears, ultimately building your muscles back stronger, and sometimes bigger. The same goes for bones. When you鈥檙e forced to work against gravity, your muscles pull on your bones, forcing them to remodel and become stronger. The result: you鈥檙e less prone to fracture鈥攐r to getting hurt going about your day-to-day tasks.

Having stronger muscles can even prevent you from breaking a bone. A found that calf circumference was linked to tibia pain鈥攊n fact, each 10 millimeter reduction in calf circumference increased the risk of tibial stress fracture fourfold. It could be that the electric properties of leg muscle tissue, combined with lean muscle mass, allows those muscles to dampen impact forces when your feet strike the ground, which helps keep you injury-free.

So hike. Run. Dance. Jump. It鈥檚 never too late to start working on your muscles and bones. In a , researchers from Copenhagen found that 70-year-old men who played soccer for one hour twice a week for four months improved muscle function by 30 percent鈥攁nd bone mineral density by two.

The post The Invisible Benefits of Exercise appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

We know what you鈥檙e thinking: “I don鈥檛 even use all my vacation days. Why should I fake being sick? How is this even a good habit?” Two answers: You are going to use all your vacation days this year, and the unscheduled day off will help you do just that.

Let鈥檚 start with using that vacation time. Americans . Working too much鈥攅specially in a volatile job market鈥攂ecomes habitual. Like a who started off having an occasional cigarette, you might not even notice you鈥檝e stopped staying late occasionally and started working late out of habit鈥攅very day.

Enter the sick day鈥攜our way of taking conscious control over your vacation days. Take that random day off. The result will be a new appreciation for time off. Start with just an afternoon off if you can鈥檛 fathom a whole eight hours, and do whatever you want during your off time. The most important thing is that you鈥檙e present.

鈥淲ork when it's time to work and be there 100 percent, then play when it's time to play and be there 100 percent,鈥� says Dr. Adam Perlman, founder of and executive director of Duke Integrative Medicine. One day isn鈥檛 going to revolutionize your life, Dr. Pearlman says, but it鈥檚 a start.

And if you鈥檙e caught, tell this to your boss: Taking time off is great for you and the company. The evidence comes from an released in February 2014. It found that after taking time off, 67 percent of people felt refreshed, 32 percent felt more focused, and 40 percent were less stressed.

The post Take a Sick Day When You鈥檙e Feeling Great appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

There are two ways of washing the dishes, Zen master Thich Nhat Hanah writes in The Miracle of Mindfulness. You can wash the dishes for the sake of making tea, or you can wash the dishes for the sake of washing the dishes.

The lesson: Every moment has the opportunity to yield greater understanding and calm, as long as you鈥檙e willing to live in that moment. In a digital age where distractions and multitasking are the new normal, making time to unplug and de-stress has reached a new level of importance鈥攁nd has elevated the cup of coffee into a life-calming ritual.

Routines鈥攆or coffee, or tea, or anything else鈥攁re the like Benjamin Franklin and athletes like (his morning routine: a sponge bath from his assistant). Having a routine, no matter how strange, is one of the time-tested ways of generating the space to pursue more pressing questions. Instead of brewing that cup of coffee to amp up for your morning meeting, follow the lead of Circa CEO and use it to train yourself for a more focused day.

The routine isn鈥檛 the only thing that鈥檚 good for you. Population-based research shows that regular coffee drinkers live longer, with a 10 to 13 percent reduction in risk of premature death, says . Plus, having a morning cup of joe is linked to a and a reduced risk of cancer. that those who drink three to five cups a day see a 65 percent reduced risk of Alzheimer鈥檚 or dementia later in life.

If you shy away from coffee because of the caffeine, just go for decaf, says Roussell, and . , for instance, found that decaffeinated coffee works as an appetite suppressant.

Tomorrow morning, sip away in peace.

The post Have Your Morning Coffee appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Steve Jobs was famous for his black turtleneck sweaters. Mark Zuckerberg every day. And President Obama . It鈥檚 not because they鈥檙e lazy. It鈥檚 just that they focus better on the stuff that matters most when they cut out extraneous decisions, like what shirt to wear.

鈥淭hink of your willpower like a muscle,鈥� says . 鈥淯se it and it will get stronger, but overuse it and it will become fatigued and fail you.鈥� It鈥檚 a process called decision fatigue. When our fleeting pool of willpower dries up, we falter and ultimately give in to unhealthy temptations鈥攐r bad business and policy choices.

You could wear the same thing every day and hope your coworkers know you do laundry. A more covert option: Eat the same breakfast each morning. Food, in particular, requires a lot of decision making鈥攗p to 200 choices a day, according to Brian Wansink of the Cornell University Food and Brand Lab. 鈥淚 think that鈥檚 on the low side,鈥� says Roussell. 鈥淕o to Chipotle and you have to make at least 15 in less than 90 minutes. The average Starbucks offers you 19,000 different drink possibilities.鈥�

Take the decisions out of breakfast. 鈥淚f you eat a quality breakfast, you鈥檙e less likely to eat a lousy lunch as you've already made the effort to eat right. Why blow it?鈥� says Roussell. He recommends aiming for a mix of protein and produce and going light on the sugar. Try making your go-to meal something like eggs and salsa, a protein shake, or a Greek yogurt and a piece of fruit. You鈥檒l reduce decision fatigue and set the stage for a healthier day of eating.

The post Eat the Same Breakfast Every Day appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Two things about your smartphone. It emits blue light, and it can keep your brain on high alert. Put them together and you鈥檝e got a recipe for a disastrous night in bed.

First, the blue light. Looking at light on the blue end of the color spectrum sends a signal to your brain to stop the production of melatonin, a hormone that induces sleep, says , a clinical psychologist who specializes in sleep. 鈥淏asically, it is telling your brain it鈥檚 morning.鈥� The result: a tough time falling asleep. But that鈥檚 not the only thing your phone has going against it at night.

鈥淚 would argue that blue light isn鈥檛 as big of a deal as the level of engagement your phone can require,鈥� says Breus. If you鈥檙e emailing, texting, playing Candy Crush, and scheduling morning meetings, 鈥渢hat level of engagement is pretty significant,鈥� he says. It鈥檚 enough to keep you awake.

Better to zone out by skimming a magazine, listening to music, or stretching. Even watching Seinfeld on a blue-light-emitting LED screen while tucked under the covers is better than responding to email, says Breus.

Start plugging in your phone outside of your bedroom and get into a more relaxing nighttime routine. If you鈥檙e an evening reader like Breus, swap your Kindle for a real book and a . Unlike energy-efficient LED bulbs found in most modern houses, 鈥渢hese bulbs don鈥檛 have blue light and won鈥檛 impact your body鈥檚 ability to make melatonin,鈥� says Breus, who has one on his nightstand.

Want some sleep feedback? Swap a sleep app for the . Billed as the 鈥渨orld鈥檚 first noncontact sleep system,鈥� the S+ looks like a little modern sculpture that sits on a nightstand to track your sleep. It鈥檒l identify any issues you may have鈥攍ike suboptimal room temperature, for instance鈥攖o help improve your shut-eye.

The post Charge Your Phone in the Kitchen appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

A little secret about your comfort zone: It isn鈥檛 a bad place to be. You鈥檙e less stressed, less anxious, happier, and perform at a steady level when you鈥檙e feeling secure, according to published more than 100 years ago. But your comfort zone isn鈥檛 without its risks. You鈥檙e likely less creative and adaptable than when you鈥檙e .

This paradox can be frustrating, but there is a best-of-both-worlds solution: Get outside your comfort zone often enough to make progress, but retreat regularly enough to consolidate your gains, an argument that鈥檚 been . Even when your offensives fail, you鈥檒l be making progress. People who engage in a variety of experiences are . And making mistakes says something powerful about your character.

Being embarrassed shows that you鈥檙e aware of the possible consequences of your behavior. This makes you an attractive employee, spouse, friend, or teammate, says Robb Willer, associate professor of sociology at Stanford University.

Still not convinced you should take some potentially face-reddening chances once a month? Consider this: Being too cautious could shorten your life. published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences suggests that neophobes鈥攑eople who are afraid of new things鈥攁re more likely to die at an earlier age than their nonfearful, adventurous friends. The stress of being worried all the time can weaken your immune system and prematurely age you, the researchers say.

Give it a shot. Speak up at that meeting with the intimidating execs. Join your friends on that night ski. Let your buddies teach you how to bunnyhop on your road bike. In the end, everyone might like you more for the rosy cheeks those chances induce.

The post Embarrass Yourself… Once a Month appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

So you don鈥檛 get to take a Google bus to work. There are still ways to make your commute more tolerable鈥攆un, even鈥攖hat will simultaneously make you happier, calmer, and more creative.

For example, you could transform your commute into a workout. Besides burning calories, walking can boost creativity by 60 percent, suggests . Though the researchers did not cite why, it appears that increased blood flow to the brain may have something to do with it.

鈥淩iding to work also kills two birds with one stone. I'm getting exercise and getting to work,鈥� says Andy Clarke, president of the League of American Bicyclists and avid bike-to-worker. Besides the cardiovascular perks, cycling could be your ticket to happiness; a suggests that among people who drive to work, walk, bike, take trains, or ride buses, cyclists are the happiest.

Then there are the financial benefits to the commute turned workout. Owning a car costs around $9,000 a year, Clarke estimates. 鈥淭he bike I've been riding to work every day for more than 10 years cost around $1,400,鈥� he says. 鈥淥f course, I spend a little more each year in my local bike shop getting an annual tune-up, replacing tires, tubes, and cables and such, but I'd be shocked if that added up to $9,000 every 10 years.鈥�

Don鈥檛 want to sweat on your way to work? Try public transportation鈥攊t may be less stressful than driving yourself. that the stress levels of drivers stuck in city traffic are equal to the stress levels people experience before skydiving.

Want to walk or ride but live too far away from work? Pull a double: Take the bus or train part of the way, and ride or walk the first or last few miles, Clarke suggests. Once you work your way up to a five-mile ride, you have some gut-busting benefits to look forward to; the that commuting just five miles each way 200 days a year will help you burn up to 20 pounds of fat.

The post Commute Without Your Car appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

You should hold your shoulders back and sit up straight鈥攂ut not for the reasons you might expect. that people who sit up straight report higher self-esteem, happiness, arousal, a better mood, and less stress. Even more: That lowered stress , especially in women. (Stress can increase cortisol levels, which . Lower stress equals less cortisol equals more sex hormones equals higher sex drive.)

Get started by checking your chair. When you sit, you should recline about 10 to 20 degrees, says Alan Hedge, director of Cornell University鈥檚 Human Factors and Ergonomics Laboratory. 鈥淚n this position, the lower back curves inwards toward the tummy, which is the most relaxed posture for the lumbar spine.鈥� You鈥檒l take body weight off your postural muscles and fatigue less quickly, he says.

Dynamic-back chairs, which move with you as you move, will help you achieve that gentle slope more easily than chairs that lock in specific positions. If you can鈥檛 get a dynamic-back chair, at least get that 10- to 20- degree angle by rolling a towel and placing it behind your lower back. Or invest in a ($60) which changes the position of your pelvis to bring your lower back into a more ergonomic position, says Hedge.

Even better: Stand up. Consider a desk add-on like ($400) that slides up and down, allowing you to switch from standing to sitting. Then try Hedge鈥檚 30-minute cycle for minimizing fatigue, maximizing blood flow to the muscles, and eliminating back pain: Sit for 20 minutes, stand for eight minutes, move for two minutes, repeat.

The post Stand (and Sit) Up Straight appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.