Many people are unhappy with the sound of their voice. Every voice reflects a person's individuality and also affects how they view themselves. Your voice is a very important physical trait, especially in your personal life. Many people say that our own voice sounds different to us than it does to others, and it's true. Others hear us differently than we hear ourselves.
Most men have naturally deeper voices than the majority of woman and it isn't only men who feel that they could benefit of having a lower voice. Some women think that way too.
Your voice isn't permanently stuck being the way it is now. If you have a squeaky or high-pitched voice you can actually get it to sound deeper. Vocal chords are a muscle group and, just like any other muscle in your body, they can be developed through strengthening exercises. Vocal chords are responsible for the raw tones that come out from your mouth while your tongue and mouth will help to form the specific words and sounds.
One of the key points for speaking in a deeper voice is learning how to use the breath. Breathe in between making sounds when you speak. It's important to balance how much air you need, which is dependent on the sounds you are trying to make.
Neck stretching exercises can be used to benefit your vocal chords. Exercises help improve the strength of the vibration when you are ready to speak. The more you can learn about controlling your vocal chords, the more your range will improve.
Over-doing certain exercises can damage you vocal chords. Some suggest a certain screaming exercise, but this can really be harmful. Humming is good. Saying sing-song syllables as long as you can hold the tones is a good exercise. Start with your natural voice and don't force your voice deeper. You should sustain the sounds as long as you can. Deepen your voice gradually with each word. You will feel the vocal cords going into overdrive. Practicing this deliberately will deepen your voice in a little time.
It 's beneficial to relax your body with simple self-massage and light stretching before doing vocal exercises. It is good to have self-confidence, because you will feel more comfortable in everything you do and say. Also, being depressed or stressed out will negatively affect your vocal cords.
There are many ways you can help make your voice better and deeper. Get a good night's sleep. When you get a good night's sleep the larynx spends hours completely relaxed and the muscles can then reverberate at the tones they were built for. Vocal chords are very good at holding tension. They need to be relaxed completely to vibrate at deep levels. Rid your life of stress, because tension in your life can cause the neck muscles to tighten. When the muscles around your vocal chords tighten, your voice ends up sounding higher pitched. Strengthen your neck muscles and you can get your voice sounding deeper. And, most important… belief and patience is the key to achieve the desired result.
For more information click here
Monday, October 3, 2011
Five tips to cope with stress management at workplace
Stress management at workplace is necessary in these hectic times. So instead of attempting to ignore it, you need to evaluate ways on how you may negate its effect inside your life and build up productivity at your occupation. After all, you would not wish the corporate stress you are hurting from to flood over to your private life once you arrive at home following work. Correct stress management at your workplace is therefore a critical skill which you need to gain knowledge of and master.
1:Discover how to experience Fun
Having fun at your occupation and learning how to relax may well make or else break you inside the office. This is a terrific way to relieve stress inside the workplace and become more productive with your occupation. A feeling of sluggishness is unavoidable if you had to toil for many hours straight. Even a couple of minutes of break to laugh, snack, or else perform something non-related might revive you and re-energize both mind and body to accomplish extra for the remainder of the workday.
Definitely make certain to observe correct behavior while you are taking a break inside the workplace. Refrain from making too much racket and limit the period you use while on break.
2:Move Around
The fitness of your corporeal body is a crucial aspect to recharge your mind. When you are sitting on a chair or desk for many hours, you do not receive as much movement in your body. As a consequence, you may well feel lethargic or else certainly stressed out. You should therefore start off by curing bodily stress to guarantee a more unified and efficient stress management methodology. The solution used for this is very straightforward ' you need to keep your whole body in motion.
You may execute easy exercises to trim physical stress such as stretching your arms and legs. Perform this on regular intervals to increase blood flow all through your body. You may additionally try walking around the hallway or else around your desk for a couple of minutes. Uncomplicated things like that will create a massive difference.
3:Incorporate a positive Lifestyle
If you are serious about stress management at workplace, then make certain you commit your body and mind to developing a positive lifestyle. Your private lifestyle will additionally influence your body's capability to cope with stress. You will accomplish this by ingesting a balanced diet and avoiding unhealthy behavior such as drinking or else smoking.
4:Correct Time Control
A widespread cause of stress inside the office is lack of hours to squeeze in all of the pending assignments which needs to be achieved. Therefore, time management skills would help you to defeat stress effectively. You need to organize your assignments according to what is on top of your priority. Make certain to complete the urgent ones at the outset and Discover how to appropriate your schedule well according to what you need to get completed for the workday. Keep away from committing to responsibilities and tasks that would not fit into your day to day schedule.
5:Interact With a Team
Aside from lack of hours to accommodate pending assignments, an additional everyday source of stress inside the office is lack of ability to Interact in concert with a team or else your co-employees. You have to Interact towards building correct teamwork so that you will operate smarter and accomplish additional things in a reduced amount of hours. It would be a consistent stress management procedure on behalf of you and your office mates.
So there you have it. Five tips to manage stress at workplace.
Use them and become happier and more productive
For more information on stress management st workplace Click Here
Find out how Ralph Wilhelm-dude17111 handles all types of stress both in and out of the workplace. Just visit Workplace Stress Relief To find out the whole story.
1:Discover how to experience Fun
Having fun at your occupation and learning how to relax may well make or else break you inside the office. This is a terrific way to relieve stress inside the workplace and become more productive with your occupation. A feeling of sluggishness is unavoidable if you had to toil for many hours straight. Even a couple of minutes of break to laugh, snack, or else perform something non-related might revive you and re-energize both mind and body to accomplish extra for the remainder of the workday.
Definitely make certain to observe correct behavior while you are taking a break inside the workplace. Refrain from making too much racket and limit the period you use while on break.
2:Move Around
The fitness of your corporeal body is a crucial aspect to recharge your mind. When you are sitting on a chair or desk for many hours, you do not receive as much movement in your body. As a consequence, you may well feel lethargic or else certainly stressed out. You should therefore start off by curing bodily stress to guarantee a more unified and efficient stress management methodology. The solution used for this is very straightforward ' you need to keep your whole body in motion.
You may execute easy exercises to trim physical stress such as stretching your arms and legs. Perform this on regular intervals to increase blood flow all through your body. You may additionally try walking around the hallway or else around your desk for a couple of minutes. Uncomplicated things like that will create a massive difference.
3:Incorporate a positive Lifestyle
If you are serious about stress management at workplace, then make certain you commit your body and mind to developing a positive lifestyle. Your private lifestyle will additionally influence your body's capability to cope with stress. You will accomplish this by ingesting a balanced diet and avoiding unhealthy behavior such as drinking or else smoking.
4:Correct Time Control
A widespread cause of stress inside the office is lack of hours to squeeze in all of the pending assignments which needs to be achieved. Therefore, time management skills would help you to defeat stress effectively. You need to organize your assignments according to what is on top of your priority. Make certain to complete the urgent ones at the outset and Discover how to appropriate your schedule well according to what you need to get completed for the workday. Keep away from committing to responsibilities and tasks that would not fit into your day to day schedule.
5:Interact With a Team
Aside from lack of hours to accommodate pending assignments, an additional everyday source of stress inside the office is lack of ability to Interact in concert with a team or else your co-employees. You have to Interact towards building correct teamwork so that you will operate smarter and accomplish additional things in a reduced amount of hours. It would be a consistent stress management procedure on behalf of you and your office mates.
So there you have it. Five tips to manage stress at workplace.
Use them and become happier and more productive
For more information on stress management st workplace Click Here
Find out how Ralph Wilhelm-dude17111 handles all types of stress both in and out of the workplace. Just visit Workplace Stress Relief To find out the whole story.
10 Ways To Improve Long Term Memory
What is human memory?
Simply stated, memory is the mental processes that are used to acquire, store, retain and later retrieve information. The information can be obtained from our 5 senses before they are processed by the brain. There are three major processes involved in memory, namely Processing, Storage and Retrieval.
Processing
New information or experiences make their way to the brain through the 5 senses where they are processed by the neurons in the brain. The key to having your brain successfully processing the information into your memory is paying careful attention to the information or experience. For example, if you are being introduced to a new colleague but your mind is on the Chinese cuisine you are going to have for lunch, chances are, you will not remember you new colleague's name.
Storage
If you've paid enough attention to the new information, your hippocampus, or that part of your brain vital in the information processing, will send a signal to save the information into the long-term memory. This process can be enhanced if you use some memory techniques that will be discussed later, to help you store the information.
Retrieval
When the time comes to retrieve the information, your brain will stimulate the same pattern of nerve cells that was used to store it. The more you recall and use that information, the better you get at recalling it as the same pathways are strengthened.
How is long term memory compared to short term memory?
Short-term memory, also known as working memory, is the information we are aware of or thinking about, at the present moment. For example, when you look up the phone number of a store you need to call to check on the availability of an item. The store's phone number is held in short term memory. Short term memory is fragile and usually parts or all of it can be forgotten in a short period of time. Because most times, the information, like the telephone number, is only needed for that moment. Unless of course, you need to call up the store a few times a day every day for a week, then it will be lodged in your brain for a much longer period of time.
Long-term memory refers to the continuing storage of information. It involves the effort (conscious or unconscious) you make around a piece of information in order to retain it for a longer period of time, because it's personally important or meaningful to you (for example, your wife's birthday); you need it (such as job procedures or material you're studying for an exam); or it made an emotional impact (a place you had an accident, the restaurant where you were proposed for marriage or the first time you drove a car). As long-term memory is subject to being faded out or parts or the whole of the event being forgotten, several recalls/retrievals of memory may be needed for long-term memories to last for years, it is dependent also on the depth of processing. Individual retrievals can take place in increasing intervals in accordance with the principle of carefully spaced repetition.
Here then are 10 ways to improve your long term memory or memory in general.
1. Physical Exercise
Over the years, as more studies are conducted on the human brain, it has become more apparent to scientists that the connections between the body and mind are stronger than were previously imagined. Not only is physical exercise important for keeping the body healthy, but it has also become apparent that it may reduce the chances of a person developing dementia or other memory disorders. There are a number of reasons why this occurs. Physical exercise has an effect on the cardiovascular system that is well documented. It seems that there is a connection between the health of the brain and the health of the heart.
It has been discovered that physical exercise is also responsible for the regulation of the blood sugar levels. Experts believe that the amount of glucose tolerance in the body has an effect on the size of the hippocampus. In addition to this, exercise will increase the amount of blood flow to the brain, and this blood is rich in oxygen. Increasing the amount of oxygen and blood to the brain will allow it to function correctly, and this will have an effect on the memory. While physical exercise is important for both men and women, research have shown that it is more important for aging women than men.
2. Mental Exercise
Performing a mental exercise twice a day could help delay the rapid memory loss associated with dementia for more than a year," The Daily Telegraph reported. It said that a study of nearly 500 people aged 75 to 85 years looked at how often they did crosswords or puzzles, read, wrote or played card games. Of those who developed dementia, people who did 11 mental exercises a week developed memory problems about a year and four months later on average than those who did four exercises a week. It is small wonder that in the Chinese are fond of playing mahjong to keep their mind sharp. In western countries, playing bridge or poker also helps.
3. Get Quality Sleep
Scientists have debated over the years on the role of sleep and memory. One entertaining theory suggests that we needed sleep, when we were cavemen, to keep us wandering out of our caves and being eaten by sabertooth tigers.
One of the things we do know is that young birds and mammals need as much as three times the amount of sleep as adult birds and mammals. It has been suspected that neuronal connections are remodeled during sleep, and this has recently been supported in a study using cats (Cats who were allowed to sleep for six hours after their vision was blocked in one eye for six hours, developed twice as many new or modified brain connections as those cats who were kept awake in a dark room for the six hours after the period of visual deprivation). In humans, sleep is necessary for memory consolidation. Sleep disorders like insomnia and sleep apnea leave you tired and unable to concentrate during the day.
4. Manage Your Stress
Have you ever forgotten something during a stressful situation that you should have remembered? Chronic over-secretion of the stress hormone, Cortisol, adversely affects brain function, especially memory. Cortisol also interferes with the function of neurotransmitters, the chemicals that brain cells use to communicate with each other.
Excessive cortisol can make it difficult to think or retrieve long-term memories. That's why people get befuddled and confused in a severe crisis. Their mind goes blank because "the lines are down." They can't remember where the fire exit is, for example.
Stress hormones divert blood glucose to exercising muscles, therefore the amount of glucose - hence energy - that reaches the brain's hippocampus is diminished. This creates an energy crisis in the hippocampus which compromises its ability to create new memories. That may be why some people can't remember a very traumatic event, and why short-term memory is usually the first casualty of age-related memory loss resulting from a lifetime of stress
5. Nutrition
You probably know already that a diet based on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and "healthy" fats will provide lots of health benefits, but such a diet can also improve memory. Studies have shown that certain nutrients nurture and stimulate brain function. For instance,
Vitamin A combats toxins that damage brain cells.
Vitamin B1 is needed to produce the brain chemical acetylcholine, crucial for concentration levels and memory.
Vitamin B3 is essential for brain health.
Vitamin B6 improves nerve communication.
Vitamin B12 is needed to create the myelin sheath that protects nerves and speeds up the rate of electrical transmission.
Pantothenic acid is essential for the production of the brain chemical acetylcholine.
Folic acid seems to help guard against the risk of Alzheimer's disease.
(Best sources: spinach and other dark leafy greens, broccoli, asparagus, strawberries, melons, black beans and other legumes, citrus fruits, soybeans.)
Choline is needed to produce acetylcholine.
Vitamin C neutralizes harmful free radicals that may damage brain cells.
Vitamin E boosts brain function.
Best sources: blueberries and other berries, sweet potatoes, red tomatoes, spinach, broccoli, green tea, nuts and seeds, citrus fruits, liver.)
Omega3 fatty acids are concentrated in the brain and are associated with cognitive function. They count as "healthy" fats, as opposed to saturated fats and trans fats, protecting against inflammation and high cholesterol. (Best sources: cold-water fish such as salmon, herring, tuna, halibut, and mackerel; walnuts and walnut oil; flaxseed and flaxseed oil). Because older adults are more prone to B12 and folic acid deficiencies, a supplement may be a good idea for seniors. An omega-3 supplement (at any age) if you don't like eating fish. But nutrients work best when they're consumed in foods, so try your best to eat a broad spectrum of colorful plant foods and choose fats that will help clear, not clog, your arteries.
6. Focus, Concentrate, Pay attention
If memory was a car, attention would be its fuel: New information is not stored into memory if not attended to, and distraction often leads to misremembering past events. You can't remember something if you never learned it, and you can't learn something that is not processed by your brain, if you've not paid attention. It takes about eight seconds of intent focus to process a piece of information through your hippocampus and into the appropriate memory center. So, if you need to concentrate, do not do multiple jobs at the same time. If you distract easily, try to receive information in a quiet place where you won't be interrupted.
7. Involve your senses
If you're a visual learner, even when you are reading, you are seeing the information. For non-written material or physical items, really try to concentrate. Look carefully and slowly at the shape, color, texture of the object, the material its made of. Read out loud what you want to remember. If you can recite it rhythmically, better still. Try to relate information to colors, textures, smells and tastes. The physical act of rewriting information can help imprint it onto your brain. If it's a procedure or action you need to remember, do it. Do it several times. The act of "doing" is a separate mental pathway that you create. Just reading about something (or just hearing someone else explain how to do it) is not good enough.
8. Memory Strategies
Mnemonics are linkages of any kind that help us remember something, usually by causing us to associate the information we want to remember with a visual image, a sentence, or a word.
Common types of mnemonic devices are:
1. Visual images - For example, thorns for remembering the name "Tony", brine (salt solution) for "Brian". Use images that are ludicrous or out of the ordinary to make your memory stand out, they'll be easier to remember.
2. Sentences in which the first letter of each word is part of or represents the initial of what you want to remember. Musicians, for example, first memorized the lines of the treble staff with the sentence "Every good boy does fine" (or "deserves favor"), representing the notes E, G, B, D, and F. Medical students often learn groups of nerves, bones, and other anatomical features using nonsense sentences.
3. Acronyms, which are initials that creates pronounceable words. For example, the colors of the rainbow are VIBGYOR for Violet, Indigo, Blue, Green, Yellow, Orange and Red.
4. Rhymes and alliteration: remember learning "30 days hath September, April, June, and November"? A hefty guy named Benedict can be remembered as "Big Ben" and an obnoxious co-worker as "Pushy Paula" (though it might be best to keep such names to yourself).
5. Jokes or even off-color associations using facts, figures, and names you need to recall, because funny or peculiar things are easier to remember than mundane images.
6. "Chunking" information; that is, arranging a long list in smaller units or categories that are easier to remember. It's easier to memorize your credit card number if you can arrange the numbers in groups of 3 or 4 instead of a line of 16 numbers.
7. "Loci Method": This is an ancient method used by the Romans and effective way of remembering a lot of material, such as a speech. You associate each part of what you have to remember with a landmark in a route you know well, such as your way to work or stations along the subway or even the layout of your house.
9. Keeping What You Learnt Locked In
It is not uncommon to forget a large part of what you studied for a test. If review is organized properly, recall rates can be kept high shortly after learning has been completed. To accomplish this, a program interval of review must take place, each review being done at the time just before recall is about to drop. For example, the first review should take place about 10 minutes after a one-hour learning period and should itself take 5 minutes. This will keep the recall high for about one day, when the next review should take place, this time for a period of 2 to 4 minutes. After this, recall will probably be retained for about a week, when another 2 minutes review can be completed followed by a further review after about one month. After this time, the knowledge will be lodged in the Long Term memory. This means it will be familiar in the way a personal telephone number is familiar, needing only the occasional nudge to maintain it.
10. Practice, practice and practice.
It is important to put all the pieces together above and keep doing them until it becomes a habit. Get started on a physical exercise program, learn a hobby or skill that will keep your memory sharp, like the game of bridge. Make it a habit to focus your attention on something or someone, put the mnemonic methods to use although they may seem childish at first. And last but not least, if you are really committed to storing some information into Long Term memory, remember to use the review frequency and stick to it because it REALLY WORKS.
For more information click here
Simply stated, memory is the mental processes that are used to acquire, store, retain and later retrieve information. The information can be obtained from our 5 senses before they are processed by the brain. There are three major processes involved in memory, namely Processing, Storage and Retrieval.
Processing
New information or experiences make their way to the brain through the 5 senses where they are processed by the neurons in the brain. The key to having your brain successfully processing the information into your memory is paying careful attention to the information or experience. For example, if you are being introduced to a new colleague but your mind is on the Chinese cuisine you are going to have for lunch, chances are, you will not remember you new colleague's name.
Storage
If you've paid enough attention to the new information, your hippocampus, or that part of your brain vital in the information processing, will send a signal to save the information into the long-term memory. This process can be enhanced if you use some memory techniques that will be discussed later, to help you store the information.
Retrieval
When the time comes to retrieve the information, your brain will stimulate the same pattern of nerve cells that was used to store it. The more you recall and use that information, the better you get at recalling it as the same pathways are strengthened.
How is long term memory compared to short term memory?
Short-term memory, also known as working memory, is the information we are aware of or thinking about, at the present moment. For example, when you look up the phone number of a store you need to call to check on the availability of an item. The store's phone number is held in short term memory. Short term memory is fragile and usually parts or all of it can be forgotten in a short period of time. Because most times, the information, like the telephone number, is only needed for that moment. Unless of course, you need to call up the store a few times a day every day for a week, then it will be lodged in your brain for a much longer period of time.
Long-term memory refers to the continuing storage of information. It involves the effort (conscious or unconscious) you make around a piece of information in order to retain it for a longer period of time, because it's personally important or meaningful to you (for example, your wife's birthday); you need it (such as job procedures or material you're studying for an exam); or it made an emotional impact (a place you had an accident, the restaurant where you were proposed for marriage or the first time you drove a car). As long-term memory is subject to being faded out or parts or the whole of the event being forgotten, several recalls/retrievals of memory may be needed for long-term memories to last for years, it is dependent also on the depth of processing. Individual retrievals can take place in increasing intervals in accordance with the principle of carefully spaced repetition.
Here then are 10 ways to improve your long term memory or memory in general.
1. Physical Exercise
Over the years, as more studies are conducted on the human brain, it has become more apparent to scientists that the connections between the body and mind are stronger than were previously imagined. Not only is physical exercise important for keeping the body healthy, but it has also become apparent that it may reduce the chances of a person developing dementia or other memory disorders. There are a number of reasons why this occurs. Physical exercise has an effect on the cardiovascular system that is well documented. It seems that there is a connection between the health of the brain and the health of the heart.
It has been discovered that physical exercise is also responsible for the regulation of the blood sugar levels. Experts believe that the amount of glucose tolerance in the body has an effect on the size of the hippocampus. In addition to this, exercise will increase the amount of blood flow to the brain, and this blood is rich in oxygen. Increasing the amount of oxygen and blood to the brain will allow it to function correctly, and this will have an effect on the memory. While physical exercise is important for both men and women, research have shown that it is more important for aging women than men.
2. Mental Exercise
Performing a mental exercise twice a day could help delay the rapid memory loss associated with dementia for more than a year," The Daily Telegraph reported. It said that a study of nearly 500 people aged 75 to 85 years looked at how often they did crosswords or puzzles, read, wrote or played card games. Of those who developed dementia, people who did 11 mental exercises a week developed memory problems about a year and four months later on average than those who did four exercises a week. It is small wonder that in the Chinese are fond of playing mahjong to keep their mind sharp. In western countries, playing bridge or poker also helps.
3. Get Quality Sleep
Scientists have debated over the years on the role of sleep and memory. One entertaining theory suggests that we needed sleep, when we were cavemen, to keep us wandering out of our caves and being eaten by sabertooth tigers.
One of the things we do know is that young birds and mammals need as much as three times the amount of sleep as adult birds and mammals. It has been suspected that neuronal connections are remodeled during sleep, and this has recently been supported in a study using cats (Cats who were allowed to sleep for six hours after their vision was blocked in one eye for six hours, developed twice as many new or modified brain connections as those cats who were kept awake in a dark room for the six hours after the period of visual deprivation). In humans, sleep is necessary for memory consolidation. Sleep disorders like insomnia and sleep apnea leave you tired and unable to concentrate during the day.
4. Manage Your Stress
Have you ever forgotten something during a stressful situation that you should have remembered? Chronic over-secretion of the stress hormone, Cortisol, adversely affects brain function, especially memory. Cortisol also interferes with the function of neurotransmitters, the chemicals that brain cells use to communicate with each other.
Excessive cortisol can make it difficult to think or retrieve long-term memories. That's why people get befuddled and confused in a severe crisis. Their mind goes blank because "the lines are down." They can't remember where the fire exit is, for example.
Stress hormones divert blood glucose to exercising muscles, therefore the amount of glucose - hence energy - that reaches the brain's hippocampus is diminished. This creates an energy crisis in the hippocampus which compromises its ability to create new memories. That may be why some people can't remember a very traumatic event, and why short-term memory is usually the first casualty of age-related memory loss resulting from a lifetime of stress
5. Nutrition
You probably know already that a diet based on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and "healthy" fats will provide lots of health benefits, but such a diet can also improve memory. Studies have shown that certain nutrients nurture and stimulate brain function. For instance,
Vitamin A combats toxins that damage brain cells.
Vitamin B1 is needed to produce the brain chemical acetylcholine, crucial for concentration levels and memory.
Vitamin B3 is essential for brain health.
Vitamin B6 improves nerve communication.
Vitamin B12 is needed to create the myelin sheath that protects nerves and speeds up the rate of electrical transmission.
Pantothenic acid is essential for the production of the brain chemical acetylcholine.
Folic acid seems to help guard against the risk of Alzheimer's disease.
(Best sources: spinach and other dark leafy greens, broccoli, asparagus, strawberries, melons, black beans and other legumes, citrus fruits, soybeans.)
Choline is needed to produce acetylcholine.
Vitamin C neutralizes harmful free radicals that may damage brain cells.
Vitamin E boosts brain function.
Best sources: blueberries and other berries, sweet potatoes, red tomatoes, spinach, broccoli, green tea, nuts and seeds, citrus fruits, liver.)
Omega3 fatty acids are concentrated in the brain and are associated with cognitive function. They count as "healthy" fats, as opposed to saturated fats and trans fats, protecting against inflammation and high cholesterol. (Best sources: cold-water fish such as salmon, herring, tuna, halibut, and mackerel; walnuts and walnut oil; flaxseed and flaxseed oil). Because older adults are more prone to B12 and folic acid deficiencies, a supplement may be a good idea for seniors. An omega-3 supplement (at any age) if you don't like eating fish. But nutrients work best when they're consumed in foods, so try your best to eat a broad spectrum of colorful plant foods and choose fats that will help clear, not clog, your arteries.
6. Focus, Concentrate, Pay attention
If memory was a car, attention would be its fuel: New information is not stored into memory if not attended to, and distraction often leads to misremembering past events. You can't remember something if you never learned it, and you can't learn something that is not processed by your brain, if you've not paid attention. It takes about eight seconds of intent focus to process a piece of information through your hippocampus and into the appropriate memory center. So, if you need to concentrate, do not do multiple jobs at the same time. If you distract easily, try to receive information in a quiet place where you won't be interrupted.
7. Involve your senses
If you're a visual learner, even when you are reading, you are seeing the information. For non-written material or physical items, really try to concentrate. Look carefully and slowly at the shape, color, texture of the object, the material its made of. Read out loud what you want to remember. If you can recite it rhythmically, better still. Try to relate information to colors, textures, smells and tastes. The physical act of rewriting information can help imprint it onto your brain. If it's a procedure or action you need to remember, do it. Do it several times. The act of "doing" is a separate mental pathway that you create. Just reading about something (or just hearing someone else explain how to do it) is not good enough.
8. Memory Strategies
Mnemonics are linkages of any kind that help us remember something, usually by causing us to associate the information we want to remember with a visual image, a sentence, or a word.
Common types of mnemonic devices are:
1. Visual images - For example, thorns for remembering the name "Tony", brine (salt solution) for "Brian". Use images that are ludicrous or out of the ordinary to make your memory stand out, they'll be easier to remember.
2. Sentences in which the first letter of each word is part of or represents the initial of what you want to remember. Musicians, for example, first memorized the lines of the treble staff with the sentence "Every good boy does fine" (or "deserves favor"), representing the notes E, G, B, D, and F. Medical students often learn groups of nerves, bones, and other anatomical features using nonsense sentences.
3. Acronyms, which are initials that creates pronounceable words. For example, the colors of the rainbow are VIBGYOR for Violet, Indigo, Blue, Green, Yellow, Orange and Red.
4. Rhymes and alliteration: remember learning "30 days hath September, April, June, and November"? A hefty guy named Benedict can be remembered as "Big Ben" and an obnoxious co-worker as "Pushy Paula" (though it might be best to keep such names to yourself).
5. Jokes or even off-color associations using facts, figures, and names you need to recall, because funny or peculiar things are easier to remember than mundane images.
6. "Chunking" information; that is, arranging a long list in smaller units or categories that are easier to remember. It's easier to memorize your credit card number if you can arrange the numbers in groups of 3 or 4 instead of a line of 16 numbers.
7. "Loci Method": This is an ancient method used by the Romans and effective way of remembering a lot of material, such as a speech. You associate each part of what you have to remember with a landmark in a route you know well, such as your way to work or stations along the subway or even the layout of your house.
9. Keeping What You Learnt Locked In
It is not uncommon to forget a large part of what you studied for a test. If review is organized properly, recall rates can be kept high shortly after learning has been completed. To accomplish this, a program interval of review must take place, each review being done at the time just before recall is about to drop. For example, the first review should take place about 10 minutes after a one-hour learning period and should itself take 5 minutes. This will keep the recall high for about one day, when the next review should take place, this time for a period of 2 to 4 minutes. After this, recall will probably be retained for about a week, when another 2 minutes review can be completed followed by a further review after about one month. After this time, the knowledge will be lodged in the Long Term memory. This means it will be familiar in the way a personal telephone number is familiar, needing only the occasional nudge to maintain it.
10. Practice, practice and practice.
It is important to put all the pieces together above and keep doing them until it becomes a habit. Get started on a physical exercise program, learn a hobby or skill that will keep your memory sharp, like the game of bridge. Make it a habit to focus your attention on something or someone, put the mnemonic methods to use although they may seem childish at first. And last but not least, if you are really committed to storing some information into Long Term memory, remember to use the review frequency and stick to it because it REALLY WORKS.
For more information click here
The Basics of Performance Nutrition for Young Athletes
Copyright (c) 2009 Neal Spruce
Nutrition Makes a Difference
Optimal athletic performance requires food and nutrient intake that is tailored to each athlete's sport, training schedule and individual needs. Many athletes, especially younger ones, gravitate toward typical eating patterns which can significantly decrease their chances to reach their peak performance. The basics of performance nutrition are discussed here so your developing athlete can feel and perform their very best.
Energy is the Foundation for Success
The daily calorie intake for every youth athlete should provide sufficient energy needed for growth and development, optimal functioning and all activities. Just as a high performance car uses a special blend of gasoline to achieve peak performance, athletes also require the proper mixture of fuel (carbohydrates, proteins, and fats) to perform optimally. Therefore, the "blend" of fuel and timing of meals and snacks are critical to maximizing performance potential. Daily calorie requirements will be different for each athlete but general recommendations are as follows:
- Active girls ages 9 to 13: approximately 2,070 calories per day
- Active boys ages 9 to 13: approximately 2,279 calories per day
- Active girls ages 14 to 18: approximately 2,368 calories per day
- Active boys ages 14 to 18: approximately 3,152 calories per day
- Very active kids and adolescents may need more, especially during growth spurts
Carbohydrates - The Main Energy Source
Carbohydrates, which rapidly break down to blood sugar (glucose), are the body's primary and favorite energy source. The brain, nervous system and muscles are fueled mostly by glucose. Therefore, a continuous supply of carbohydrates is necessary to prevent body stores from being depleted. Inadequate carbohydrate intake leads to low energy levels, fatigue and impaired performance. Proper management of the amounts, types and timing of this nutrient is required to fill and refill the main "gas tank". Key carbohydrate guidelines are listed here:
- Carbohydrates should make up approximately 60 percent of your child's diet.
- Starches and grains (breads, pasta, rice, potatoes, etc) should be eaten at each major meal throughout the day to provide a lasting energy source. Major meals should be eaten three to four hours apart.
- Carbohydrates such as fruit, energy bars/shakes, and sports drinks are ideal for rapid fueling before activity and immediately after exercise to optimize recovery.
- Depending on the sport, the growing athlete should consume 3 to 4.5 grams of carbohydrates per pound of body weight per day.
Protein - The Building Blocks Muscles and other body tissues are made up of proteins. Although protein contains the same amount of energy as carbohydrates, its primary function is the growth and repair of these tissues. Protein is a less efficient energy source for the body than carbohydrates, so little of the protein in your diet is used to meet this need unless you're not getting enough carbohydrates or if you're really pushing your body's limits. In this case, protein is detoured from its main functions and is broken down for fuel. Eating adequate amounts of carbohydrates spares protein for building and repairing tissues and prevents the loss of lean tissue. General protein recommendations are listed below.
- Protein should make up approximately 15 to 20 percent of total daily calories which most people, including children and adolescents, meet with a typical diet.
- The daily protein requirement for sedentary youth ages 9 to 18 is approximately 0.35 grams per pound of body weight per day for proper growth and repair. However, active adults, children and adolescents require more protein - up to 1 gram per pound of body weight per day.
- Lean meats, poultry without the skin, fish, eggs and soy products are excellent sources of protein. Other sources include beans, nuts and low-fat dairy products.
Fats - The Body's Unlimited Energy Source
Dietary fats are essential to health because they help deliver vitamins, minerals and nutrients needed for normal growth and functioning. However, most people get more than enough fat in their diet. Furthermore, fat is not the main energy source during exercise and the body's stores cannot be depleted during exercise. This means daily fat intake is less important than carbohydrate and protein needs. In fact, what leads to fatigue - or what athletes refer to as "bonking" - is the depletion of carbohydrates. You'll find the guidelines for fat intake below:
- Fat should make up approximately 25% percent of the youth athlete's diet.
- The majority of fat intake will automatically come from protein foods such as meat, fish, milk and other dairy products.
- Good sources of healthy fats include olive oil, canola oil and nuts.
Summary
Based on the sport, the goal of performance nutrition is to eat carbohydrates, protein and fats in ideal amounts and at proper times to allow the youth athlete to perform at a high level and maintain normal growth and development patterns. By keeping protein intake within the proper range to satisfy growth and repair, your young athlete can consume as much carbohydrate as necessary to keep filling the main "gas tank" and leave the remaining calories for dietary fats. For information, see Proper Hydration, Loading Your Energy Systems and Pre- and Post-Training Meals and Snacks.
References --
1. Institute of Medicine of the National Academies. Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs): Values for Energy for Active Individuals. Washington DC, 2002. The National Academies Press.
2. Petrie HJ, Stover EA, Horswill CA. Nutritional concerns for the child and adolescent competitor. Nutrition. 2004 Jul-Aug;20(7-8):620-31. Review.
3. McArdle WD, Katch FI, Katch, VL. Sports & Exercise Nutrition. Maryland: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins;
4. 1999. p. 15.
5. Burke LM, Kiens B, Ivy JL. Carbohydrates and fat for training and recovery. J Sports Sci. 2004 Jan;22(1):15-30. Review.
6. Haff GG. "Carbohydrates." Essentials of Sports Nutrition and Supplements. Ed. Antonio J, et al. New Jersey: Human Press, 2007. 298.
7. Maughan RJ, Burke LM. Sports nutrition. Malden, MA: Blackwell Science, 2002
8. Unnithan VB, Goulopoulou S. Nutrition for the pediatric athlete. Curr Sports Med Rep. 2004 Aug;3(4):206-11.
9. Ziegenfuss TN, Landis J. "Protein." Essentials of Sports Nutrition and Supplements. Ed. Antonio J, et al. New Jersey: Human Press, 2007. 256.
10. Committee on Nutrition, American Academy of Pediatrics. Pediatric nutrition handbook, 3 ed. Elk Grove, IL: American Academy of Pediatrics, 1993
------
Neal Spruce is chairman of the board for the prestigious National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) and founder dotFIT, LLC. Neal is a fitness specialist, author, licensed teacher, researcher, bodybuilding champion, personal fitness consultant and speaker. dotFIT is the leader in online fitness and weight loss programs.
Nutrition Makes a Difference
Optimal athletic performance requires food and nutrient intake that is tailored to each athlete's sport, training schedule and individual needs. Many athletes, especially younger ones, gravitate toward typical eating patterns which can significantly decrease their chances to reach their peak performance. The basics of performance nutrition are discussed here so your developing athlete can feel and perform their very best.
Energy is the Foundation for Success
The daily calorie intake for every youth athlete should provide sufficient energy needed for growth and development, optimal functioning and all activities. Just as a high performance car uses a special blend of gasoline to achieve peak performance, athletes also require the proper mixture of fuel (carbohydrates, proteins, and fats) to perform optimally. Therefore, the "blend" of fuel and timing of meals and snacks are critical to maximizing performance potential. Daily calorie requirements will be different for each athlete but general recommendations are as follows:
- Active girls ages 9 to 13: approximately 2,070 calories per day
- Active boys ages 9 to 13: approximately 2,279 calories per day
- Active girls ages 14 to 18: approximately 2,368 calories per day
- Active boys ages 14 to 18: approximately 3,152 calories per day
- Very active kids and adolescents may need more, especially during growth spurts
Carbohydrates - The Main Energy Source
Carbohydrates, which rapidly break down to blood sugar (glucose), are the body's primary and favorite energy source. The brain, nervous system and muscles are fueled mostly by glucose. Therefore, a continuous supply of carbohydrates is necessary to prevent body stores from being depleted. Inadequate carbohydrate intake leads to low energy levels, fatigue and impaired performance. Proper management of the amounts, types and timing of this nutrient is required to fill and refill the main "gas tank". Key carbohydrate guidelines are listed here:
- Carbohydrates should make up approximately 60 percent of your child's diet.
- Starches and grains (breads, pasta, rice, potatoes, etc) should be eaten at each major meal throughout the day to provide a lasting energy source. Major meals should be eaten three to four hours apart.
- Carbohydrates such as fruit, energy bars/shakes, and sports drinks are ideal for rapid fueling before activity and immediately after exercise to optimize recovery.
- Depending on the sport, the growing athlete should consume 3 to 4.5 grams of carbohydrates per pound of body weight per day.
Protein - The Building Blocks Muscles and other body tissues are made up of proteins. Although protein contains the same amount of energy as carbohydrates, its primary function is the growth and repair of these tissues. Protein is a less efficient energy source for the body than carbohydrates, so little of the protein in your diet is used to meet this need unless you're not getting enough carbohydrates or if you're really pushing your body's limits. In this case, protein is detoured from its main functions and is broken down for fuel. Eating adequate amounts of carbohydrates spares protein for building and repairing tissues and prevents the loss of lean tissue. General protein recommendations are listed below.
- Protein should make up approximately 15 to 20 percent of total daily calories which most people, including children and adolescents, meet with a typical diet.
- The daily protein requirement for sedentary youth ages 9 to 18 is approximately 0.35 grams per pound of body weight per day for proper growth and repair. However, active adults, children and adolescents require more protein - up to 1 gram per pound of body weight per day.
- Lean meats, poultry without the skin, fish, eggs and soy products are excellent sources of protein. Other sources include beans, nuts and low-fat dairy products.
Fats - The Body's Unlimited Energy Source
Dietary fats are essential to health because they help deliver vitamins, minerals and nutrients needed for normal growth and functioning. However, most people get more than enough fat in their diet. Furthermore, fat is not the main energy source during exercise and the body's stores cannot be depleted during exercise. This means daily fat intake is less important than carbohydrate and protein needs. In fact, what leads to fatigue - or what athletes refer to as "bonking" - is the depletion of carbohydrates. You'll find the guidelines for fat intake below:
- Fat should make up approximately 25% percent of the youth athlete's diet.
- The majority of fat intake will automatically come from protein foods such as meat, fish, milk and other dairy products.
- Good sources of healthy fats include olive oil, canola oil and nuts.
Summary
Based on the sport, the goal of performance nutrition is to eat carbohydrates, protein and fats in ideal amounts and at proper times to allow the youth athlete to perform at a high level and maintain normal growth and development patterns. By keeping protein intake within the proper range to satisfy growth and repair, your young athlete can consume as much carbohydrate as necessary to keep filling the main "gas tank" and leave the remaining calories for dietary fats. For information, see Proper Hydration, Loading Your Energy Systems and Pre- and Post-Training Meals and Snacks.
References --
1. Institute of Medicine of the National Academies. Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs): Values for Energy for Active Individuals. Washington DC, 2002. The National Academies Press.
2. Petrie HJ, Stover EA, Horswill CA. Nutritional concerns for the child and adolescent competitor. Nutrition. 2004 Jul-Aug;20(7-8):620-31. Review.
3. McArdle WD, Katch FI, Katch, VL. Sports & Exercise Nutrition. Maryland: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins;
4. 1999. p. 15.
5. Burke LM, Kiens B, Ivy JL. Carbohydrates and fat for training and recovery. J Sports Sci. 2004 Jan;22(1):15-30. Review.
6. Haff GG. "Carbohydrates." Essentials of Sports Nutrition and Supplements. Ed. Antonio J, et al. New Jersey: Human Press, 2007. 298.
7. Maughan RJ, Burke LM. Sports nutrition. Malden, MA: Blackwell Science, 2002
8. Unnithan VB, Goulopoulou S. Nutrition for the pediatric athlete. Curr Sports Med Rep. 2004 Aug;3(4):206-11.
9. Ziegenfuss TN, Landis J. "Protein." Essentials of Sports Nutrition and Supplements. Ed. Antonio J, et al. New Jersey: Human Press, 2007. 256.
10. Committee on Nutrition, American Academy of Pediatrics. Pediatric nutrition handbook, 3 ed. Elk Grove, IL: American Academy of Pediatrics, 1993
------
Neal Spruce is chairman of the board for the prestigious National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) and founder dotFIT, LLC. Neal is a fitness specialist, author, licensed teacher, researcher, bodybuilding champion, personal fitness consultant and speaker. dotFIT is the leader in online fitness and weight loss programs.
Neal Spruce
Don't Just Sit There, MOVE!
Copyright (c) 2009 Neal Spruce
Somehow during the last few decades, somewhere between 20 and 40 years of age, you've gained about 20 pounds. This didn't have to happen--if you had walked an average of 150 more steps daily (which takes about three minut... Read >
How do Fat Loss Supplements Work?
Copyright (c) 2009 Neal Spruce
The goal of incorporating a supplement or drug into a weight loss program is to assist the participant in complying with the necessary eating and moving guidelines that lead to weight reduction. They should never be viewe... Read >
Why You Should Eat Before Morning Workouts
Copyright (c) 2009 Neal Spruce
You've heard it before: "Eat your breakfast." Should you eat in the morning? And what if your goal is weight loss? How does breakfast affect your ability to burn fat at the gym?
One of the interesting things about the ... Read >
Heat & Hydration
Copyright (c) 2009 Neal Spruce
Experienced athletes generally have no trouble properly hydrating while exercising or training. Most athletes are aware of the role hydration plays in their performance and will take all measures to insure proper hydratio... Read >
Young Athletes and Fluid Balance
Copyright (c) 2009 Neal Spruce
Fluid Balance is Critical to Health and Performance
It is essential for all athletes to maintain the proper fluid balance since even a small level of dehydration can have a negative impact on performance. Not getting ... Read >
Load Your Energy Systems for Peak Performance
Copyright (c) 2009 Neal Spruce
Maximizing Energy Stores Helps Delay Fatigue
In order for our bodies to utilize the energy stored in food, we must first extract it through digestion and store it so we can continually draw on it to produce the energy ... Read >
The Basics of Performance Nutrition
Copyright (c) 2009 Neal Spruce
Nutrition Makes a Difference
Optimal athletic performance requires food and nutrient intake that is tailored to each athlete's sport, training schedule and individual needs. Many athletes, especially younger ones, grav... Read >
Proven Weight Control Strategies
Copyright (c) 2009 Neal Spruce
Dieting to lose weight is difficult at best, and generally ends in frustration for the average person. The majority of people gain most of the weight back within the first year.
There are three strategies, however, tha... Read >
Weight Gain and Birth Control Pills
Copyright (c) 2009 Neal Spruce
The Oral Contraceptive Pill (OCP)
The Oral Contraceptive Pill (OCP) or birth control pill belongs to a class of birth control compounds called hormonal contraceptives. The basic science behind them is to interrupt the... Read >
Spot Reduction & The Fat Burning Zone: The Real Story
Copyright (c) 2009 Neal Spruce
MYTH: What muscle you work determines where you lose fat (spot reduction)
FACT: Genetics determine where you lose fat
Let's get right to the point: a muscle has no control over the fat between it and your skin. At s... Read >
Sugar & High Fructose Corn Syrup: The Real Story
Copyright (c) 2009 Neal Spruce
Myth: Sugar is making America fat
FACT: Poor choices are making America fat
All legitimate science agrees that the causes of continuous weight gain in developed nations consists of a variety of environmental, psycho... Read >
The Basics of Weight Control
Copyright (c) 2009 Neal Spruce
Calories are the single factor that determine your weight
Controlling your weight comes down to one thing - managing calories. Your body is a complex machine that requires fuel to run your metabolism and perform all m... Read >
The Basics of Performance Nutrition for Young Athletes
Copyright (c) 2009 Neal Spruce
Nutrition Makes a Difference
Optimal athletic performance requires food and nutrient intake that is tailored to each athlete's sport, training schedule and individual needs. Many athletes, especially younger ones, grav... Read >
Does Menopause Mean Your Destined to Gain Weight?
Copyright (c) 2009 Neal Spruce
Does reaching menopause mean you're destined to gain excess weight? Is losing weight after menopause harder than it would be before menopause? The purpose of this article is to explore these questions and discuss the key ... Read >
Nutrition Myths: Starvation Mode & Fast Metabolisms
Copyright (c) 2009 Neal Spruce
MYTH: Eating a diet that is too low in calories will cause the body to go into starvation mode and not burn any calories
FACT: Severely cutting calories will cause the metabolism to adjust slightly, but not enough to p... Read >
Nutrition Myths: Starvation Mode & Fast Metabolisms
Copyright (c) 2009 Neal Spruce
MYTH: Eating a diet that is too low in calories will cause the body to go into starvation mode and not burn any calories
FACT: Severely cutting calories will cause the metabolism to adjust slightly, but not enough to prevent fat loss
Remember that people around the world who truly die of starvation are not overweight when they expire. It's true that when you severely cut calories your metabolism will make a slight adjustment, allowing your body to run on fewer calories"but it's not a large compensation. If you need to lose weight and you are not, eat less and/or move more and forget about slowing your metabolism.
That said, the point is not to lose weight too quickly by drastically reducing calories because that method is generally not sustainable. While a low calories diet does have a slight slowing effect on the metabolism, but it's more likely that you feel sluggish on the diet because you're not giving your body the fuel it needs, not because your metabolism is slower. In other words, you become less energetic, forcing a reduction in your daily activities, therefore burning fewer calories overall. Crash diets and low caloric intake leads to low energy levels ' meaning you burn less calories throughout your day and less intense workouts due to your lack of energy. This means more hunger; and as likely as not backsliding into binge eating and other unhealthy habits. This can result in a calorie intake that temporarily exceeds your pre-diet intake, leading to a rapid re-accumulation of weight. This is easily misinterpreted as the results of a "damaged" metabolism. It is worth noting that any temporary, minor reduction in metabolic rate due to excessively low caloric intake is regained once caloric intake is increased. Your metabolism is not damageable. Take home message: Never blame failure on metabolism, no matter what anyone tells you! Simply move more.
MYTH: Naturally skinny people have faster metabolisms, so they don't have to exercise and can eat anything they want FACT: Naturally skinny people consistently burn as many calories as they consume
Individual metabolisms do vary, but not much. And people who stay slim and eat anything they want either don't want much (total calories) or move enough (daily activities including fidgeting) to cancel whatever they eat. In other words, people who are overweight eat too much relative to how much they move, whether they exercise or not. People who stay thin and don't exercise eat as much as they move. Those who tend to stay thinner have the habits that overweight people need to adopt. They eat smaller portions, eat slowly at meals and get a lot of exercise. The calories in are countered by the calories out. In fact, the heavier you are (no matter who you are) the more calories your body burns. So put that heavier, more calorically expensive body to work and get moving! More weight in motion means more calories burned per unit of time.
Final note on metabolisms and plateaus: The "fast and slow metabolism" thing has become a bad excuse for many people. Anyone can get their daily calorie burn (overall metabolism) as high as they need by simply moving or standing more. The main reason the body comes to plateaus during dieting or exercise (besides cheating) is that when weight is lost you become fit, your body uses fewer calories to perform the same work (because it's easier than when you were heavier and out of shape), forcing you to add work or eat less in order to continue to progress .
People who eat well and exercise regularly (and are "tapped out" as far as time or cutting calories) is to simply increase your daily movements at home or at the office. Stand instead of sitting, pace the room while on the phone or thinking. Take stairs instead of elevators or escalators. Park further away. Take a walk at lunch. Walk to a colleague's office to talk rather than using e-mail or the intercom. You can increase your metabolism at least for the short term by changing your workout routine, especially your cardio exercise .
So there you have it. You can now take these myths off your list and get on with your fitness goals. Most people know in their heart that these myths can't possibly be real, but then there's another segment on the news or an article in a "health" magazine that makes these myths sound plausible. The idea of a broken metabolism may be more exciting than the simple fact that keeping your diet under control is the best way to lose weight, but the simple, unexciting facts are right this time. Ultimately, it doesn't matter what you hear or what you read in the mass media. If you're a fitness professional, you know that it all comes own to those notoriously immutable laws of nature. Calories (energy) in versus calories out determine whether you will stay the same, gain or lose weight. Those are the facts.
Amati F, Dube JJ, Shay C, Goodpaster BH. Separate and combined effects of exercise training and weight loss on exercise efficiency and substrate oxidation. J Appl Physiol. 2008 Jul 10. [Epub ahead of print] Børsheim E, Bahr R. Effect of exercise intensity, duration and mode on post-exercise oxygen consumption. Sports Med. 2003;33(14):1037-60.
------
Neal Spruce is chairman of the board for the prestigious National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) and founder dotFIT, LLC. Neal is a fitness specialist, author, licensed teacher, researcher, bodybuilding champion, personal fitness consultant and speaker. dotfit is the leading online fitness and weight loss program.
MYTH: Eating a diet that is too low in calories will cause the body to go into starvation mode and not burn any calories
FACT: Severely cutting calories will cause the metabolism to adjust slightly, but not enough to prevent fat loss
Remember that people around the world who truly die of starvation are not overweight when they expire. It's true that when you severely cut calories your metabolism will make a slight adjustment, allowing your body to run on fewer calories"but it's not a large compensation. If you need to lose weight and you are not, eat less and/or move more and forget about slowing your metabolism.
That said, the point is not to lose weight too quickly by drastically reducing calories because that method is generally not sustainable. While a low calories diet does have a slight slowing effect on the metabolism, but it's more likely that you feel sluggish on the diet because you're not giving your body the fuel it needs, not because your metabolism is slower. In other words, you become less energetic, forcing a reduction in your daily activities, therefore burning fewer calories overall. Crash diets and low caloric intake leads to low energy levels ' meaning you burn less calories throughout your day and less intense workouts due to your lack of energy. This means more hunger; and as likely as not backsliding into binge eating and other unhealthy habits. This can result in a calorie intake that temporarily exceeds your pre-diet intake, leading to a rapid re-accumulation of weight. This is easily misinterpreted as the results of a "damaged" metabolism. It is worth noting that any temporary, minor reduction in metabolic rate due to excessively low caloric intake is regained once caloric intake is increased. Your metabolism is not damageable. Take home message: Never blame failure on metabolism, no matter what anyone tells you! Simply move more.
MYTH: Naturally skinny people have faster metabolisms, so they don't have to exercise and can eat anything they want FACT: Naturally skinny people consistently burn as many calories as they consume
Individual metabolisms do vary, but not much. And people who stay slim and eat anything they want either don't want much (total calories) or move enough (daily activities including fidgeting) to cancel whatever they eat. In other words, people who are overweight eat too much relative to how much they move, whether they exercise or not. People who stay thin and don't exercise eat as much as they move. Those who tend to stay thinner have the habits that overweight people need to adopt. They eat smaller portions, eat slowly at meals and get a lot of exercise. The calories in are countered by the calories out. In fact, the heavier you are (no matter who you are) the more calories your body burns. So put that heavier, more calorically expensive body to work and get moving! More weight in motion means more calories burned per unit of time.
Final note on metabolisms and plateaus: The "fast and slow metabolism" thing has become a bad excuse for many people. Anyone can get their daily calorie burn (overall metabolism) as high as they need by simply moving or standing more. The main reason the body comes to plateaus during dieting or exercise (besides cheating) is that when weight is lost you become fit, your body uses fewer calories to perform the same work (because it's easier than when you were heavier and out of shape), forcing you to add work or eat less in order to continue to progress .
People who eat well and exercise regularly (and are "tapped out" as far as time or cutting calories) is to simply increase your daily movements at home or at the office. Stand instead of sitting, pace the room while on the phone or thinking. Take stairs instead of elevators or escalators. Park further away. Take a walk at lunch. Walk to a colleague's office to talk rather than using e-mail or the intercom. You can increase your metabolism at least for the short term by changing your workout routine, especially your cardio exercise .
So there you have it. You can now take these myths off your list and get on with your fitness goals. Most people know in their heart that these myths can't possibly be real, but then there's another segment on the news or an article in a "health" magazine that makes these myths sound plausible. The idea of a broken metabolism may be more exciting than the simple fact that keeping your diet under control is the best way to lose weight, but the simple, unexciting facts are right this time. Ultimately, it doesn't matter what you hear or what you read in the mass media. If you're a fitness professional, you know that it all comes own to those notoriously immutable laws of nature. Calories (energy) in versus calories out determine whether you will stay the same, gain or lose weight. Those are the facts.
Amati F, Dube JJ, Shay C, Goodpaster BH. Separate and combined effects of exercise training and weight loss on exercise efficiency and substrate oxidation. J Appl Physiol. 2008 Jul 10. [Epub ahead of print] Børsheim E, Bahr R. Effect of exercise intensity, duration and mode on post-exercise oxygen consumption. Sports Med. 2003;33(14):1037-60.
------
Neal Spruce is chairman of the board for the prestigious National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) and founder dotFIT, LLC. Neal is a fitness specialist, author, licensed teacher, researcher, bodybuilding champion, personal fitness consultant and speaker. dotfit is the leading online fitness and weight loss program.
Warm-Up Vocal Exercise to Deepen and Clarify Your Voice
Warm-Up Vocal Exercise to Deepen and Clarify Your Voice
A lot of us all want a deep, powerful voice. After we see Darth Vader - voiced by James Earl Jones - on the movie screen, the first thing we do is turn to our friends and break out in an impersonation of him.
But before you start saying I am your father...", its important to realize that you can take your voices to newer, deeper levels without having to do a James Earl Jones impersonation.
What situation might you be in that could use a warm-up vocal exercise? Just imagine how much more confident youd feel with a deeper, more resonant voice if you were facing:
● A job interview
● A presentation to the boss
● A speech to an expecting crowd
● A first date
Youd be surprised at the impact a powerful, relaxed voice can have in these types of situations. Without further ado, its time to explore some vocal exercises that can take your voice to that level in a relatively short amount of time.
Concentrate on where your voice is coming from. Pick up a magazine or a newspaper and start reading. Pay attention to where your voice is coming from.
Huh? Where your voice is coming from? It always comes from your throat, doesnt it?
Well, not exactly. Depending on how you use your voice, you might notice your voice is resonating in a particular area of your body. In a nasally voice, it will be far too high: either in the throat or even mouth and nose. If youre doing it right, you should notice vibration in your chest, because thats where you want your voice to becoming from. Your voice starts with the exhalation of air in your lungs and works its way through your throat and voice box - its not as if the voice is only about the voice box alone.
Many singers and even speakers consider breathing exercises to be valuable for this very reason. As you read the newspaper or magazine, see if you can try to bring your voice from a deeper, lower place.
How to warm your voice up.
Singing is a great way to warm up your voice. Singing requires you to form words, to project your voice, and to employ a big range of vocal expression. Singing wont necessarily do everything you want to your speaking voice, but its a great way to warm up, loosen up, an get in that vocal" mood.
Singing is also a great way to make you feel differently. When youre in a different, more joyful mood, your voice should more naturally sound a little bit better. Granted, it wont change your voice completely, but it should have enough impact that youll feel better about the speech or presentation youre about to give.
Practice words and sounds. Its not just about voice - its also about enunciation. Practising simple sounds like may, mee, mah, moo" can sound a little ridiculous, sure, but if you give your brain a good tongue-twisting then normal words shouldnt seem so hard to pronounce.
Stuttering or stammering over your words can often be caused by placing too much pressure on yourself to pronounce something correctly. Stay relaxed and confident and youll find out just how quickly you can change your voice to sound smoother, deeper, and more professional.
To get access to my new free mini-course visit my website
http://www.warmupvocal.com/vocal-training-exercises/
On my site you will find lots of use full topics on
vocal warm up,increasing your vocal range and much more
For more information click here
A lot of us all want a deep, powerful voice. After we see Darth Vader - voiced by James Earl Jones - on the movie screen, the first thing we do is turn to our friends and break out in an impersonation of him.
But before you start saying I am your father...", its important to realize that you can take your voices to newer, deeper levels without having to do a James Earl Jones impersonation.
What situation might you be in that could use a warm-up vocal exercise? Just imagine how much more confident youd feel with a deeper, more resonant voice if you were facing:
● A job interview
● A presentation to the boss
● A speech to an expecting crowd
● A first date
Youd be surprised at the impact a powerful, relaxed voice can have in these types of situations. Without further ado, its time to explore some vocal exercises that can take your voice to that level in a relatively short amount of time.
Concentrate on where your voice is coming from. Pick up a magazine or a newspaper and start reading. Pay attention to where your voice is coming from.
Huh? Where your voice is coming from? It always comes from your throat, doesnt it?
Well, not exactly. Depending on how you use your voice, you might notice your voice is resonating in a particular area of your body. In a nasally voice, it will be far too high: either in the throat or even mouth and nose. If youre doing it right, you should notice vibration in your chest, because thats where you want your voice to becoming from. Your voice starts with the exhalation of air in your lungs and works its way through your throat and voice box - its not as if the voice is only about the voice box alone.
Many singers and even speakers consider breathing exercises to be valuable for this very reason. As you read the newspaper or magazine, see if you can try to bring your voice from a deeper, lower place.
How to warm your voice up.
Singing is a great way to warm up your voice. Singing requires you to form words, to project your voice, and to employ a big range of vocal expression. Singing wont necessarily do everything you want to your speaking voice, but its a great way to warm up, loosen up, an get in that vocal" mood.
Singing is also a great way to make you feel differently. When youre in a different, more joyful mood, your voice should more naturally sound a little bit better. Granted, it wont change your voice completely, but it should have enough impact that youll feel better about the speech or presentation youre about to give.
Practice words and sounds. Its not just about voice - its also about enunciation. Practising simple sounds like may, mee, mah, moo" can sound a little ridiculous, sure, but if you give your brain a good tongue-twisting then normal words shouldnt seem so hard to pronounce.
Stuttering or stammering over your words can often be caused by placing too much pressure on yourself to pronounce something correctly. Stay relaxed and confident and youll find out just how quickly you can change your voice to sound smoother, deeper, and more professional.
To get access to my new free mini-course visit my website
http://www.warmupvocal.com/vocal-training-exercises/
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