Lovers? Oh that word bums me out unless it’s between ‘meat’ and ‘pizza’. – Liz Lemon
7 Easy Fitness Hacks That’ll Make You Healthier by Tomorrow Morning
And not one of them involves getting undressed in front of strangers.
By ANTHONY J. YEUNG for GQ a few years ago.
We all know that great fitness takes hard work, sacrifice, and dedication. That’s why we hate it. No one innately wakes up at 5 a.m. to run 12 miles, or chooses quinoa over pizza, or picks washing dishes over dessert—and if you do, congratulations on winning gold in Rio. Thankfully, with just a few tricks you can do right now, you can actually get healthier and fitter by tomorrow morning. (And they’re backed by science!) You won’t wake up with a Gosling-grade six-pack, but you feel better. Maybe even good enough to go on that run.
1. Try a warmer, greener juice
What if we told you that you could drink something that would prevent cancer, reduce heart disease risk, help you lose weight, and boost exercise performance. Sounds good, right? Drink a cup of matcha [green tea; had to look it up.] in the morning for maximum benefits.
2. Stretch and use a foam roller before bed
Prep yourself before bed by doing a few minutes of light foam rolling and stretching: You’ll release those chronically tight and tender muscles, relieve tension, and prime your body for a morning workout. Which you’re totally going to do this time, for sure.
3. Power off, literally
Electronics hurt sleep because the blue-tinted light simulates day and keeps your brain awake. Instead, read something solid—a book, or maybe a great magazine. If phone withdrawal kicks in, set your screen’s to turn yellow once the sun goes down (on iPhone, turn on Night Shift in Settings, under Display & Brightness; on Android download the Twilight app).
4. Pop a pill
In general, supplements and one-a-day vitamins aren’t that useful, but a few targeted pills will kick-start your body. Fish oil—which is definitely an oil made from fish—is packed with omega 3 fatty acids that help with everything from your heart to losing fat. Then pop some zinc and magnesium. Zinc boosts your immune system and testosterone. And magnesium is one of the few deficiencies people do suffer from nowadays. That’s a problem because it’s crucial to a whole mess of important biological systems, like your metabolism and, you know, your ability to have a kid.
5. Get some sun
Having enough vitamin D means you have less risk for diabetes, heart disease, and prostate cancer. Plus, it’ll increase your testosterone and help you sleep both faster and deeper. Chug all the milk you want, but the best way to get some D—yeah, yeah, very funny—is to walk outside. Just go sit in the sun. That’s it. Go, now.
6. Make your bedroom into a cavern
First, walk over to the thermostat. Your body likes a lower temperature while it’s sleeping, and a chillier room—say, low-to-mid-60s—will help it fall asleep faster, too. Then get dark. Light screws up your sleep patterns, so buy a sleep mask, invest in blackout shades, or go all Mr. Robot and hack the municipal power grid—whatever’s easiest for blocking out that neighbor across the street with the klieg lamp lighting.
7. Kick off your kicks once you’re in the house
Your feet are home to 25 percent of your bones and a massive network of ligaments and nerves. By walking barefoot more, you’ll improve your foot mechanics and decrease the pressure on your hips and knees. You’ll also increase the range of motion of your ankle, which can prevent injuries and save you some embarrassing moment while playing pickup basketball.
Bonus Fitness Advice. Get a dog. Take it for a long walk. Whatever the weather.