Good Habits & Useful Things

Hey guys this post is going to be a collection of, well, good habits and useful things.

Arranged in no particular order of importance or prominence:

1. Bring a bottle of water with you if you have a bag and you’re going to be out the whole day. Many people neglect their hydration and end up feeling thirsty and tired. If that’s too inconvenient you can grab a bottle of drinking water from a convenience store (duh).

2. Bring some food with you if you have a bag and you’re going to be out the whole day. I’m not talking about a friggin’ picnic basket here, just some light AND healthy snacks to stave off those hunger pangs in between mealtimes. Cos it’s way easier to go healthy when you prepare your food beforehand. When you’re starving out there you tend to settle for something convenient, which often comes at the cost of your health.

3. Chew all your food thoroughly. People tend to rush through their meals when they’re in a hurry. It breaks my heart to see fellas chomping on burgers on the go, ham n’ cheese in one hand and briefcase in the other. Chewing your food finely is the first stage of the digestion process, which will help ensure that you are getting as much nutrition as you can from whatever is going down your throat.

4. Don’t slouch. People (including me) slouch alot nowadays because of the deskbound and desktop-using nature of our daily lives. We tend to develop forward-thrusting heads, stooped upper backs and curved lower backs, which make our stomachs protrude and our shoulders sag in a most unsightly manner. Do yourself a favour and stand tall.

5. Try and get at least 7 hours of sleep a day. I know this is a tough one. If you can’t manage all that time in one shot try to catch several short “power naps” during the daytime to make up for the deficit. Just don’t get into trouble with your teacher or your boss by being caught napping, literally.

6. This one goes out to all my hardstyle chaps out there. Do not overtrain. Determined fellas will carry on cranking out set after set of their favourite exercise even though they are barely surviving on 3 hours of sleep per day, and all worn out from work. I used to do that, and I regretted it. Training past the point of effective super-recovery will bring you nothing but injury and heartache. Always adjust your training volume and intensity so that you can recover sufficiently and in time for your next workout.

7. This is an extension of point number 6. Don’t be trapped by your own training system. Sets and reps are flexible concepts that are highly-adjustable. You came up with those sets and reps because you determined that they would be effective under the prevailing conditions (diet, rest and recovery, school and work hours, etc.) at the time of your consideration. When the conditions change don’t be afraid or unwilling to change your training programme to adapt to the new considerations. Nature has taught us that those who adapt well will thrive. Those who do not will become extinct. End of story.

So there you go, seven magic pointers for you to keep in mind.

And since I’m feeling all philosophical now, let me end off with my own quote:

“Good things are fruits in the basket we call a great outcome.”

~ This post is written by Lionel Ng, part-time Personal Trainer & full-time Fitness Enthusiast. ~