Hi friends~
There is so much unsettling media lately, we can all use some good news. This week I was happy to learn the benefits of some things I already do.
Being productive usually makes me feel good – helping in my community, taking care of family, and using strategies to maintain mental and physical well-being.
It generally works, but…
Sometimes I’m a mess, crying from emotional overload, frustration, and a feeling of helplessness. Does this happen to you too? It always helps to do something. This weekend it was wonderful to have garden therapy – getting the initial cleaning up and some planting done, and grandchild therapy – precious bonus time with a tiny boy.
Venting is a way that some people express feelings. Sharing can be super helpful, but there are better ways to help quell negative feelings, basically turning down the heat.
TM Transcendental Meditation has been an excellent tool for me and Michael to settle ourselves. We signed up for a course (4 sessions) in January and learned about this simple and accessible technique to get calm and centered.
And of course there’s exercise!
Really good news: Music and caffeine both enhance performance.
Music is a natural stimulant, affecting the brain’s pleasure and reward centers, making exercise feel more enjoyable. Music can act like a performance enhancing drug. Studies have shown that listening to music can reduce perceived effort during workouts, allowing athletes to push harder and longer.
- Enhanced coordination and rhythm: Music with a strong, consistent beat can improve motor coordination, helping you maintain a rhythm during activities like rowing, running, cycling, or swimming. It can also help in exercises that require a sense of timing and movement – rowing for sure!
- Improved motivation: Upbeat music with an energizing tempo can increase motivation by triggering positive emotional responses, leading to a sense of excitement and engagement, and greater desire to perform.
- Distraction from fatigue or discomfort: Music helps you focus less on feelings of fatigue or discomfort during intense exercise, improving endurance and perseverance. Studies have found that muscular anaerobic performance and motivation for hard exercise can be improved with music, helping you to stick with the hard set and reps right to the end!
- Mood elevation: Music has been shown to boost mood and reduce anxiety, helping you feel more confident, focused, and positive. This emotional boost can increase performance, especially in competition – even when we’re competing against ourselves!
- Enhance mental endurance: helping athletes stay “in the zone” during challenging workouts. Go the distance!
Here’s a Spotify playlist – some songs that make me feel good, get me into a groove.
Caffeine enhances performance. So why did coffee have a bad reputation for such a long time? An ad campaign in the late 1800s. promoting Postum, then leading eventually to decaf coffee.
- The ergogenic effects of caffeine are supported in a variety of exercise situations.
- Coffee works by stimulating the central nervous system, reducing perceived effort, and improving focus, endurance, and even strength.
- Caffeine might help mobilize fatty acids from fat tissue, making them available for energy production, which can be especially helpful for endurance activities.
Coffee’s bad rep persisted for a long time. In 1991 coffee was included in a list of possible carcinogens by the World Health Organization. By 2016 it was established that caffeine is not not associated with an increased risk of cancer. In fact, there is a decreased risk of certain cancers among those who drink coffee regularly.
And finally~coffee names:
Why in the heck is coffee called Joe – and have you heard these other names for coffee??
- Battery acid
- Bean juice
- Bilge water
- Brain juice
- Brazil water
- Brew
- Dirt
- Dishwater
- Embalming fluid
- Go juice
- High octane
- Java
- Jitter juice
- Liquid energy
- Liquid gold
- Mood mover
- Mud
- Rocket fuel
Whatever you call it, grab a cup, and pump up the tunes.
Let me know what you do to feel good, and whether you notice performance enhancement!
x
Polli
