HOW TO KEEP YOUR ENERGY LEVELS UP

Ever get down in the dumps and have a terrible energy crash in the middle of the afternoon and wonder why each day is regularly 24 hours long? I mean, how the heck can people stay up that long? There must be a mistake in the design of the universe! Well, instead of complaining about the metaphysical could-have-been’s in your head, why not instead take a look at the physical should-be’s in yourself:

1. QUIT COFFEE

What? Quit coffee? But that’s the only thing that’s actually keeping my energy levels up! Yeah .. about that. Caffeine – heavy drinks can be alright for some people as an easy pick-me-up at the start of the day, but when it wears off, it leaves (at least most people) with a terrible energy crash. Caffeine charges you up for hours on end about a half hour after consuming it, but then leaves you weak and lazy for almost the same amount of time. And, if you’re anything like me, it can cause annoying headaches during this period as well.

I actually bought into the whole “you need coffee to function” for a few years, but then wised up, and noticed that it was actually doing more harm than good. It can supercharge you for a while, but then it leaves you so devastated afterward, plus the fact that it can cause sleeplessness more often than not really doesn’t make a few hours of high energy activity worth it to me. Besides, I found that if you follow the rest of the tips in this article, you’ll wonder why you ever bothered with those overpriced cups of hot liquid in the first place.

Oh, and yes, I realize that not all people get these sorts of reactions from drinking loads of caffeine. Good for them, but they should at least realize that caffeine is truly addicting, and that if they’re drinking too much on a regular basis, it could cause permanent damage to the digestive system. In that sense, I really don’t think coffee is all that worth it.

2. WORK TO ATTAIN A SPECIFIC GOAL

This one is more mental than physical, but, hey, the body can’t function without the mind, right? Ever notice that, despite being incredibly exhausted at the end of the day, when you find something that generally excites you (e.g. a videogame, a new article on your favorite site, your favorite movie, etc), all the exhaustion just melts away? Yup, it’s all in the mind.

Our bodies do become genuinely tired, but sometimes, our minds make more of our current condition than is accurate, and this is easily controllable, with a bit of practice. This is how top level athletes can work harder than most individuals, how they can perform better in actual competition, and why many champions over the years have stated that their games, despite being purely physical to the casual observer, is actually 99% mental.

This is because they have a specific goal in mind that they need to accomplish then and there. When you get home and pick up your favorite videogame, you immediately form a specific goal in your head, whether you’re aware of it or not. “Finish at least one stage before bedtime” or “clock in at least an hour of play before the day’s out” are probably the most common variations. When you click on your favorite’s sites latest articles, your goal is probably to read all of them in that instant.

The same technique can be used in the rest of your life. Most of the time, this downtime occurs during a working environment of some sort, and is usually caused by genuine disinterest. “I’ve been here doing the exact same thing for five hours now. I want out!” All thoughts of efficiency float out of your head and you just slump into your chair.

Instead of forcing yourself to become genuinely interested in work you really don’t like, attempt to at least break your activities down into several steps, and accomplish those steps in a matter of time of your choosing. “Step A should be done in less than half an hour, then step B should be finished within ten minutes …” and so on. Make a game of it and race yourself to the finish line. The added goals and pressure you’ve created should definitely help keep you awake and on your toes.

3. REGULARLY GET ENOUGH SLEEP

No, d’uh, right? Well, sure, but, still, not a lot of people follow this very simple rule of performing your best throughout the day. I make sure to get at least 7.5 hours each night as much as possible, and just so I can have some buffer time for that (since I’m not one of those people who can nod off at the drop of a hat), I actually allot a full 8 hours. It’s a simple goal that I adhere to as much as possible, and it pays off wonderfully.

If I can’t meet that goal, then I have a Plan B to replace it: I make sure that I get at least 6 hours of sleep instead, and allot 6.5 hours of bedtime. Beyond that, I’ll most probably feel sluggish most of the next day, so I try to make that as late as possible.

The reason a lot of people don’t get enough sleep is that they don’t plan for it. Some people can get by with very minimal sleep (something like five hours or less), but most people can’t function regularly like this.

If you have to get up at a certain time, say 6:00 AM, then allot your preferred sleep period (such as my 8 hours), and get to bed before then. Think of it as another deadline to fill, and should you miss it, there will be consequences.

If you’re staying up because of work, it can most probably be put off until tomorrow, if you’re cramming it, then make this the last time, plan out your work habits more efficiently in the future and sleep more regularly. You’ll consistently feel better every single day and you’ll enjoy much reduced stress. Your body will feel better and will thank you for it.

4. EAT RIGHT

Food is your body’s fuel. If you feed it crap, it performs like crap. Therefore, if you feed it overly processed foods and junk most of the time, it’ll run like a lemon most of the time.

Regularly eating a balanced diet is a key component in performing well throughout the day. Athletes have excellent diets in order to perform their best throughout training and competition, and not just so they can stay within their weight limits.

Eat fresh as much as possible, and avoid fast food and vending machine options. Eat whenever you’re hungry, consume plenty of fresh vegetables of all sorts, good protein such as chicken breast, fish, and egg whites, and if you want to satisfy your sweet tooth, pick up your favorite fruit instead of that Snickers bar. Eating healthy will have your tank running in its best possible condition.

5. PERFORM PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES

Yes, exercise can give you a quick energy boost whenever you’re feeling physically down in the dumps. It might sound counterintuitive, but just perform a quick workout, like the simple, but effective, home workout I previously suggested, a quick jog around the area, or pop in your favorite workout DVD and go a few rounds and you could feel right as rain.

If you’re still at work, go outside and walk around for maybe 15 minutes, or until your energy systems pick up. Lots of workers are allowed breaks for the most unhealthiest of habits (e.g. smoking), so it should only be logical that breaks be allowed for some of the healthiest activities around.

Carry a water bottle with you as you go, take in some sun, and enjoy the scenery. Try to go around a path with very little cars going by, to avoid inhaling the pollution. You’re trying to pick up your energy systems and become more healthy, not do the opposite, after all.

It can also help if you substituted short walks like this throughout your working day, like taking the stairs instead of the elevator or escalator, parking your car a few blocks away, and so on, so that you can pick up the pace and supercharge your energy systems.

6. TAKE A POWER NAP

I follow all of these techniques regularly and feel great throughout the day all the time. Sometimes, though, you really can’t help it if you feel really down during the day, or if you spent the night finishing a project. In that case, taking a quick power nap, of 15 – 30 minutes length, could really perk you right back up, better than any cup of joe ever could.

If you have your own office, then that will be easier, since you can just tell people not to disturb you for 30 minutes and lie down. You could also try napping with your feet up to increase the circulation throughout your body, making you feel even better.

If you don’t have an office, and your bosses absolute refuse for you take naps on your desk, then you should probably be a bit more creative if you really need to take a nap. Some people drive out to a park or any relaxing, open area during their breaks to nap for half an hour. Just try not to do this anywhere too dangerous, like while standing up during a commute on a train. Napping during bus trips home could also be fulfilling, as long as your confident enough about your security, that is.

These are all the techniques I use to keep my energy levels up, and they have worked splendidly for me over the years. Have any other great techniques that aren’t listed here but work wonders for you? I’d like to hear them!

REQUIREMENTS TO BE PHYSICALLY FIT

Are you exercising all day and night and still feel look and feel like a weak, little kitten? Well, physical activity is definitely an important requirement to being physically fit, but it’s not the only requirement. If you’re constantly exercising but fail to see any noticeable results, then maybe it’s time to look at some other factors in your life:

1. PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

The human body is meant to move. It is not meant to just sit or lie around all day and be idle. If it used as such, its internal systems become weaker and weaker over time because of constant disuse. Muscles, bones, and so on become weaker and the body becomes more susceptible to various diseases.

2. PROPER NUTRITION 

Food is the fuel for the human body, and quality definitely counts. The better quality food, the better your body will react to it and the healthier it will become. Attaining a balanced amount of protein, carbohydrates, and fats is key to healthy living. Feed the body junk and it will react accordingly. Attempt to stay from processed foods such as fast food and feed the body ingredients that are as natural as possible. Plenty of vegetables and good quality protein such as chicken breast and fish are what the body needs.

3. ADEQUATE REST AND RELAXATION

I mentioned recently that rest and relaxation are important for total body fitness. The human body naturally gets tired throughout and needs to rest. Too little rest and the body won’t be able to properly recover from the stresses placed upon it. Much of the benefits of various sorts of exercises, such as muscle building, are actually attained during rest periods, so relaxation shouldn’t be taken for granted, and is pretty much as important as the physical activities themselves.

4. GOOD HEALTH PRACTICES

Don’t abuse things that you know you shouldn’t be putting in your body in the first place. Junk food was already mentioned in the second requirement above, but other things such as excessive alcohol should also be carefully guarded against. If you really can’t give up alcoholic drinks for good, try to limit them to once a week or even less. Other things such as smoking and addictive drugs should be banned from the human body completely, as they only serve to severely shorten a person’s lifespan.

5. GOOD MEDICAL AND DENTAL CARE

A lot of people don’t like doing this for some reason, but annual checkups from your doctor and dentist are very real requirements to be physically fit. These professionals are able to pinpoint possible problems that you normally wouldn’t be able to notice by yourself. Your teeth are also still a part of your body, and getting them terribly infected because of complacency can cause various illnesses to spread throughout your systems via cavities and such.

Found what you were looking for? Being physically fit means maintaining good practices throughout your entire life, and not just a single aspect of it. If you’re truly serious in your attempts to become a fitter, healthier human being, then all five of these requirements have to be fully integrated into your lifestyle.

HOW TO MEMORIZE ANATOMY

As you can see via the “About Me” blurb on the right side of this page, I’m currently a graduate student at one of the major universities in my country, studying Human Movement Science. As such, I am required to memorize human anatomy in order to properly apply the theories and techniques that I pick up.

Now, if you’re anything like me, you have a VERY difficult time memorizing much of human anatomy, especially since, as professionals, we’re required to know details up to the cellular level. How the heck do you memorize all those weird Latin words that never stick to your head, no matter how many hours you spend trying to hammer them into your consciousness? Let’s say you do eventually manage to cram them all in, but forget at least 90% after taking your first long exam. Isn’t it frustrating to realize that you used up what probably amounted to several days’ hard work, only to waste it all away after a sixty minute test?

Yup, that was me a few months ago. But then, something rather interesting happened: I discovered Memory Master. I found it highly recommended through several sites in the web and I decided to try it out. After a few months of using it, I can absolutely say that it indeed does work. Not only will you be able to easily memorize pretty much any odd word attached to a plethora of difficult definitions, you’ll make them stick too.

The basic premise is that you need to come up with a silly, cartoon–like image for any word, phrase, or even number in order to retain it to memory. The image has to be so silly that you’ll pretty much have a difficult time forgetting it. I’ll give some very specific examples beginning in the next paragraph, but I highly recommend you read through the entire Memory Master system first. Otherwise, you can just check out the rest of this article to at least get a taste of what this technique’s all about.

MEMORIZING THE SYSTEMS OF THE BODY

All right, I’m going to try and make this as simple as possible. Let’s say that you’re a beginner anatomy student of sorts. Chances are, you’ll have to memorize the systems of the human body early on:

1. Integumentary System – Skin
2. Skeletal System
3. Muscular System
4. Nervous System
5. Cardiovascular System
6. Lymphatic System – Carries fluids throughout blood vessels
7. Endochrine System – Hormones
8. Respiratory System
9. Digestive System
10. Urinary System
11. Reproductive System

OKAY, NOW HERE'S HOW I DID IT:

You basically need to link all those eleven ideas into one thought so you don’t lose track of any of them. So, if you think of one of them, you’ll be immediately reminded of the idea that comes after it, and so on. It’ll be like you’re creating a short and funny story reel, like those old Disney and Warner Brothers cartoons of old.

My short story starts with a guy pinching his skin. Unfortunately, he pinches so hard that he accidentally rips all the skin off his bones. Y’know, kind of like a Mortal Kombat Fatality. He’s shocked of course (and still alive because the story’s supposed to be weird and cartoony), but sees all sorts of military tags pinned withi the folds of his skin. These initial images will remind you that skin and military tags are related somehow. So “military tags” for me would remind me of “tag military”, or, “integumentary”, which is the system of our body which relates to our skin.

Of course, we know that the guy was stripped down to his bones after he accidentally rips off his skin, so we know that the next system is the skeletal system of the body. So now, the guy, throws his dead skin away, and regenerates a new set by flexing. So, the guy (actually a skeleton at this point), Flexes his muscles as in a front double biceps bodybuilding pose and grows new skin, plus, brand new, buff muscles on top of it! This will remind you that the next system is the muscular system of the body.

But now, the guy shivers since he’s pretty much naked in the middle of nowhere. His shivering could remind you of nervousness, which can lead you to remember that the next system is the nervous system of the body. You could even go one step further and image nerves growing all over the guy’s body as he shivers.

In order to cool off, the guy decides to do some roadwork, which means that the next system of the body is the cardiovascular system. While jogging, a female spirit, or nymph, creeps up behind him and surprises him. The nymph is, oddly enough, holding a pitcher of liquid and pouring it into a red model ship. The word “nymph” could remind you of “lymph”, or lymphatic system, which is the next one on the list! Her pouring liquid into a red model ship also indicates that the lymphatic system is responsible for transporting fluids to blood vessels.

The nymph disappears into thin air and the guy continues jogging, but when he turns to look ahead, he sees a giant head floating in the air. It’s the head of Dan Henderson, Mixed Martial Arts legend, and he has a silly looking grin on his face, like the Cheshire Cat from Disney’s classic cartoon, “Alice in Wonderland”. Below the giant, floating head is also a legion of classic horror movie monsters like Dracula, Frankenstein’s Monster, the Wolf Man, the Mummy, and so on.

Dan Henderson is known to his fans as “Hendo” and he has a large grin on his face. So, “Hendo Grin” could remind you of Endochrine, the next system of the human body. The legion of horror monsters also reminds you that the Endochrine system is responsible for the hormones in our body, because you can shorten “horror monsters” into “hor-mons”.

The guy is extremely surprised by the site and backs away, panting and wheezing because of the shock. His heavy breathing reminds you that the next one on the list is the respiratory system. While backing away, he trips over a large buffet table. All the excitement has made him real hungry, so he consumes the whole thing. This reminds you that the next system is the digestive system.

Because he ate so much, the guy now needs to go to the bathroom. He runs into the nearest vacant one, and does his business. Yup, the next one on the list is the urinary system of the human body. Oddly enough, though, when he exits the bathroom stall, there are suddenly two of him! This final image reminds you that the last system on the list is the reproductive system of the human body.

THE END!

Now, that whole “short story” may have taken quite a while for you to read, but try to picture it all in your head and you’ll find that it takes just a few seconds to run through. While stuff like “skeletal” and “muscular” are easy enough for anyone to remember all the time, stuff like “lymphatic” and “endochrine” may be much tougher to most individuals. Fortunately, as you have just found out, the system is intricate enough that it can allow you to come up with images that can remind you of these rather odd words that possibly have no equivalent in your everyday vocabulary. Plus, you can easily create images to remind you of their definitions as well!

In order to retain the images in the long term, you first have to see the images as clearly as you can when you first conceive them, and make them as silly looking as possible, like Dan Henderson’s giant floating head sporting a humongous grin.

The images also need to be very personal to you so that they won't be difficult to remember. This is very evident in how I crafted my short story since I put references to Mortal Kombat and Mixed Martial Arts in there, which are topics that I am genuinely interested in.

This may all seem like hard work in the beginning, and I have to admit that it is. I will say that it’s all worth it. It shouldn’t take that long to get the hang of, and when you do, you’ll be able to come up with short stories on difficult topics that you’ll remember for the rest of your life.

You’ll even learn neat tricks like memorizing any number, no matter how long it is, pick out any entry from a long list whenever its specific number is called for, never forgetting speeches and jokes, and even learn card magic tricks. And, yes, you can apply this technique to literally any other topic in your life, and pretty much make things easier for you overall, since you’ll be way less forgetful, if at all, for pretty much forever.

So, if you haven’t already, please read the entire Memory Master Technique. It won’t cost you anything and will reward you infinitely. And that’s a payoff I can really get down with.

Got any more cool memorization techniques? Want to share your own short story or need help in coming up with one? Write a comment and I’ll get back to you as quick as I can!

HOW STREET FIGHTER CHANGED MY LIFE

Okay, I just bought Super Street Fighter IV, played a few matches to try it out and am really hyped over it! But, no, I’m not going to review it. I know that I really like to review stuff, but this isn’t a video game blog. What I will do is relate how the Street Fighter franchise relates to my personal views of fitness and well – being.

When I was a kid, I’d play pretty much only one type of video game: fighting. And most of the time, the Street Fighter franchise would, more often than not, fill my video gaming needs. What this instilled in me as a little boy is a sort of idol worship for the characters I played as. My favorite is, and always has been, the Ryu character. I’m not sure what it was about him, outside of the fact that he’s the male poster boy for the franchise and is the favored character of many players out there, but I believe it was because he always seemed the most human to me, and that made me relate to him more. Sure, he throws fireballs and flies vertically through the air, but he didn’t have green skin and fangs, or was bald, had an eye patch and stood nearly seven feet tall.

He was designed as a simple, Japanese fighter wearing a tattered gi of sorts. That’s it. Of course, he didn’t look specifically Japanese. He had a more generic, square – jawed hero look to him. In fact, some might even argue that he looks more Western than Asian in most of the artwork that depicts him. In any case, I knew he was Asian, same as me, and when I looked at him, he didn’t necessarily look Japanese. In a way, I could kind of see myself in his character design and so wanted to be exactly like him growing up.

Of course, he wasn’t my only childhood idol. As a kid, I’d chew up many things in pop culture, including comic books, action movies, anime, and, of course, video games. I liked (still do, actually) Batman, Goku, Bruce Lee, and other characters and celebrities. But I’m not writing about them right now; I’m writing about Street Fighter.

Ryu gave me a particular vision of the future that I wanted to inhabit; a future where I was like him, or at least close enough that I’d personally believe it. Of course, no matter how much I wanted to grow up throwing fireballs and launching dragon punches as a kid, I eventually conceded that I wasn’t going to be able to accomplish that. So, I went for the other aspects of the character. The tattered gi and bare feet were out, since I still wanted to be considered a normal member of society, so what we have left are the martial arts skills and buff physique.

In short, Ryu is a martial artist. He’s not a corrupt boxer, a psycho – powered terrorist, or a green monster. The basic story he’s usually given is that he wanders the world seeking out new challengers so that he can become a better fighter. He’s a martial artist, plain and simple; the original World Warrior. Well, I couldn’t travel the world like he did, but I could adopt his dedication.

As a kid, I tried out karate and taekwondo, and eventually settled on the latter. I trained in it for several years, but never attended any of the tests or whatever it is they’re called, so until now I only have a yellow belt. I grew tired of taekwondo because the instructors I got never really took many of their classes seriously, possibly because we were all very young. So what I did was took all the basics I learned and build upon it by myself. I would (and still do to this day) get any and all books on the martial arts I could get my hands on, read them cover to cover, and move on. I’d do this for videos as well. I started slowly amassing equipment for myself, such as gloves and a heavy bag, that I could use to train. Of course, many of these books also detailed how to become fit enough to perform the movements detailed well and compete in tournaments, so I started on a particular road to fitness.

And so this road has led me to this day. As mentioned in my “About Me” entry on the right side of my blog, most of what I know today about fitness and martial arts is “personal”, meaning self – study. I practice as much of it as I can, of course, and to this, still imagine Ryu performing his special attacks whenever I practice martial arts. But since I took all this so seriously, I am now taking a formal degree in human kinetics, actively writing a blog about all my personal knowledge, and sharing what I know to as many people as I can in order to propagate fitness and better living.

As mentioned, I had many influences throughout childhood that pushed me towards where I am right now, and the Street Fighter series has always been a huge part of it. I know for a fact that everyone has a childhood influence or dream. Something like, “I want to be a superhero” or “I want to be an astronaut”, but eventually gave up on it to become an accountant or a math teacher. Was this because they honestly thought making balance was more exciting than fighting crime or going to outer space or because they just gave up on what they wanted? I know this feeling very well because, until now, I still can’t launch fireballs from my palms, but I still work hard on my martial arts and physical fitness, and help others do the same. My childhood dreams mean a lot to me to this day, and I take them very seriously.


This is what Street Fighter has given me. What have your childhood dreams given you?

Credit goes to Gamefaqs and Gamespot for the many pictures I used in this post.