Five ways to naturally increase your 'happiness' hormone; Learn how to breathe properly for exercise and to relax

 

Boosting your 'happiness hormone' raises your mood, productivity and success levels.getty

Here’s a double combo to increase your dopamine levels: Cuddle your furry friend, while listening to your favourite tracks. — AFP

Fatigue, reduced concentration, memory loss and lack of motivation are some of the consequences of a dopamine deficiency.

However, this neurotransmitter – also known as the happiness hormone – can be stimulated naturally through certain actions and activities accessible to all.

Central to the brain’s reward system, this compound is naturally secreted to provide a certain feeling of satisfaction in response to specific actions, such as physical activity.

According to the French Federation for Brain Research (FRC), it is, more precisely, a “neurotransmitter, which in the central nervous system, activates postsynaptic dopaminergic receptors.

“[It] plays an essential final modulating role in motor and psychic output, ... serves to reinforce behaviours such as eating, and plays a role in motivation by functioning as a kind of reward system.”

A deficiency or excess of dopamine can have harmful consequences, ranging from memory loss to addictions, requiring a certain balance to be maintained.

Parkinson’s disease, linked to a degeneration of the neurons that produce dopamine, requires clinical therapies to stimulate the production of this substance.

But milder symptoms suggestive of dopamine deficiency, such as reduced concentration, fatigue or memory lapses, can potentially be relieved by everyday actions and activities that help stimulate its production.

Here are five ways to help keep this neuronal messenger at optimal levels: 

> Play with your pet

Many studies have shown that pets, especially dogs and cats, are a source of happiness, and even a way to limit stress.

Not only do they help reduce the levels of cortisol – the stress hormone – according to American research, but our four-legged friends could also stimulate the production of dopamine.

Several scientific studies agree that petting a furry friend releases two essential substances: oxytocin, the love and social bonding hormone, and dopamine, our famous happiness hormone.

> Get some exercise

It is often said that exercise or playing sports releases endorphins.

This is true, but it is not the only pleasure or well-being hormone that is secreted by physical activity.

Whatever the chosen form, exercise naturally stimulates the production of dopamine during and after exertion, providing that feeling of well-being, accomplishment and satisfaction, or exercise “high”, that gym junkies often talk about.

It is therefore not surprising that certain scientific studies point to a link between physical activity, memory and concentration, or that it can be a source of motivation – and in excess, of exercise addiction.

> Listen to music

Music may soothe the savage beast, but that’s not all it can do.

It could also play an active role in stimulating the production of dopamine.

Music and pleasure appear to be intimately linked, provided of course that you choose tracks that you particularly like.

Activating the brain’s famous reward system, listening to music could even arouse feelings of euphoria and desire that are more often associated with eating, sex or taking certain drugs, as revealed by researchers from Canada’s McGill University.

It is therefore not surprising that music is now used in healthcare settings, with music therapy used to complement nursing care during painful procedures, for example.

> Make love

From relieving migraines to fighting certain cardiovascular (heart) diseases and even looking younger, sex seems to be particularly beneficial for health, according to numerous scientific studies.

But beyond that, sex could also be a stimulant for dopamine production – and for good reason, since it is obviously also directly associated with pleasure.

Making love is enough to secrete the famous molecule, but the orgasm alone provides a veritable cocktail of hormones, releasing serotonin, dopamine, endorphins and oxytocin, which are all associated in one way or another with happiness and pleasure.

> Eat a healthy, balanced diet

A poor diet can be the cause of a dopamine deficiency.

Meanwhile, certain foods can help to naturally boost its production.

For this, it’s advisable to turn to certain foods rich in tyrosine, such as meat, fish, seaweed, leeks, spinach, legumes, avocados, bananas and chocolate.

All these ingredients help fight against stress, improve mood or limit fatigue. – AFP Relaxnews 

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Learn how to breathe properly for exercise and to relax

 

We breathe automatically, but if you practise breathing purposefully, you’ll notice what a difference it can make, whether during exercise or for relaxation. — dpa

Inhale. Exhale. We normally don’t think about breathing – it’s automatic.

And when our body needs more oxygen than usual, e.g. during sporting activity, our breathing rate increases automatically too.

“It’s a vital process that takes place subconsciously,” says Barbara Nützel, an instructor at a school for health management in Saarbrücken, Germany.

In this way the body prevents itself from going into oxygen debt, which is a temporary oxygen shortage in body tissues resulting from intense exercise.

Our cells need oxygen to break down glucose and produce energy.

“Breathing is regulated by the autonomic nervous system and brainstem,” says Sylvain Laborde, a researcher in the performance psychology section of the Cologne-based German Sport University.

The brainstem respiratory network can adapt our breathing to external circumstances.

When we’re relaxed or asleep, we automatically tend to breathe deeply and evenly.

“Our body finetunes its oxygen supply,” she says.

“We have sensors – so-called chemoreceptors – that recognise whether we have sufficient oxygen, and not too much carbon dioxide, in our blood and adjust intake accordingly.”

But not all breathing is the same.

We can take air into our chest, or seemingly deep into our belly.

The latter is called diaphragmatic breathing, also known as abdominal breathing, belly breathing or deep breathing.

The diaphragm is a large, dome-shaped muscle at the base of the lungs.

When you breathe diaphragmatically, inhaling makes the diaphragm contract and move downward, which creates more space in your chest cavity and allows your lungs to expand.

When you exhale, the diaphragm relaxes, moving upward in the chest cavity and forcing air out of your lungs.

We’re born knowing how to breathe diaphragmatically, says Nützel, but unlearn it as we grow older.

Stress is one reason our breathing becomes shallower.

“Chest breathing wastes energy,” Laborde says, “as it activates many muscles we don’t really need for breathing.”

Breathing the right way

Breathing this way during sporting activities reduces the amount of energy at our disposal.

Athletes would therefore do well to learn diaphragmatic breathing technique and practise it regularly.

It can bring their breathing rate down from 15-20 breaths per minute to six, according to Laborde.

It can also be worthwhile to attend a yoga class, where emphasis is placed on diaphragmatic breathing training, says Nützel, a yoga instructor herself.

Athletes can breathe either through the nose or mouth.

“No matter what the sport,” Laborde says, “it’s best to breathe through your nose because the air is then moister and warmer.”

This protects the respiratory passages from drying out and cooling down.

It also protects them from dirt, Nützel says, since “the nose acts as a natural filter for airborne particles”.

During intense athletic activity, however, it’s normal to breathe through the mouth to meet the body’s oxygen requirements.

“At high intensity, you need a lot of oxygen, so sometimes, you’ve got no choice,” says Laborde.

“If oxygen intake through the nose is too low, your performance suffers.”

Which breathing technique is best for a round of jogging or strength training at the gym then?

Nützel says: “Whatever sport you do, the point is to require as few breaths as possible.”

When we run, there’s no need to consciously adapt our breathing to our strides.

“It’s best to give your breathing free rein,” says Laborde, “because our body knows exactly how much air it needs.”

For strength sports such as weightlifting, on the other hand, a targeted breathing technique is useful.

“You should exhale as you work against gravity, and inhale again in the relaxed phase,” advises Nützel.

A well-known breathing technique during weightlifting is called the Valsalva manoeuvre.

“Athletes try to mobilise more strength by pressing air against their closed mouth and nasal passages,” notes Laborde, but adds that it makes little difference in their performance.

Practising yoga is a good way to increase your respiratory volume.

“You learn to breathe more deeply, and with a little training, you’ll need fewer breaths to reach the same volume,” says Nützel.

Breathing efficiently doesn’t only boost athletic performance by supplying the body with an optimal amount of oxygen.

“Conscious breathing strengthens the immune system as well,” remarks Nützel.

What’s more, she says, exhaling more slowly lowers blood pressure.

Your heart rate – and resting heart rate – decrease.

Breath training can also have positive psychological effects, such as stress reduction.

By breathing more mindfully and slowly on a daily basis, you not only enhance your performance capacity, but your quality of life too.

Laborde recommends integrating slow breathing into your evening routine as a relaxation technique.

“Over time, slow breathing is beneficial to health and advisable,” he says. – By Pauline Jürgens/dpa;

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Keeping a pledge to fitness resolutions for a new year new beginning 2014

Two heads are always better than one, so grab a friend to exercise with. The support and motivation will go a long way towards achieving results. – AFP

A new year signals a new beginning, but are fitness resolutions necessary when most people can’t sustain them?

RESOLUTIONS are never easy to keep, especially fitness ones.

Every year-end, I hear these mantras from at least a dozen people: lose weight, get toned, enrol in yoga, run faster, muscle up, eat less...

It’s like a pledging ritual, but without proper planning and implementation. Only one, at most two, will doggedly stick to the resolve. Hats off to them.

Most people gear up to hit the gym come Jan 1, follow through for the first couple of months, hit a roadblock (most likely from laziness, muscle soreness or injuries), and eventually, slide off the commitment ladder. This is also the period when gyms, as well as wellness and slimming centres, offer huge promotions to entice new clients.

Don’t be fooled or gullible enough to fall into this trap unless you know you have the perseverance to succeed.

Resolutions seem possible at the start of the year, but become impossible as the days and months whiz past. Or, you’ve set unrealistic expectations. Habits and behaviours require time to change, so don’t be too tough on yourself.

One of my Pilates students has told me countless times that his intention is to lose his belly fat. He’ll point to a macho guy at the gym and say, “I want to look like that.”

Not wanting to engage in a lengthy discussion about body types, every year, I’ll advise him on a workout regime he can adhere to. He’ll pump iron, run on the treadmill, and attend classes diligently the first few weeks.

Then poof!, he disappears, citing work, travel, weather and family issues. By year-end, he’ll reappear, pinch his spare tyre and exclaim, “Look at this!”

I’ll look and smile knowingly. This scenario has continued for the past five years. Buddy, I can’t help you if you don’t help yourself.

So this year, why not do something different before embarking on your fitness goals?

First, sit on the couch and get your cravings out of the way. Yeah, that’s right. Allow yourself to binge to your heart’s desire to usher in the New Year. Put your feet up, snack on your favourite food – junk included, and sip your preferred drink, while watching the telly.

It’ll feel good for a while, but pretty soon, you’ll be sick of the over-indulgence and yearn for a more meaningful activity.

When you have mental clarity, focus on a fitness programme that is attainable. Ditch the impossible resolutions (e.g. losing 20 kilos in six months), but take your health and self-improvement goals one baby step at a time.

Unlike food, the endorphins released during exercise leave you feeling high for a longer time. Not only does it boost your mood, it also helps you get in shape.

Have you heard of anyone feeling depressed after a round of exercise? Fatigued, yes, but they’re rarely down in the dumps.

Physical activity doesn’t have to be complicated, so here are some tips for a healthy start:

Always warm up before starting a physical activity

Warming up is essential to prepare the body for energetic activity and reduce the risk of injury. The purpose is to ease both the mind and body from a state of rest into a state of strenuous activity.

A warm-up routine should consist of a 10-minute cardio workout, such as skipping or brisk walking, and five to 10 minutes of gentle loosening exercises, which produces a light sweat (for example, rotation of the ankle, wrists, shoulders and hips).

Increasing the core and muscle temperatures helps to make muscles loose and supple. Besides increasing the heart rate and boosting blood flow, warm-ups supply oxygen to the muscles and prepare the body for action.

Walk, walk and walk

If you have limited finances or lack time to join the gym, go brisk walking, weather permitting. Avoid taking lifts, but walk up the stairs, walk to the shops, walk around the park or walk to your colleague’s cubicle instead of phoning or sending her/him an Intranet message.

Walking has multiple benefits, including helping against heart disease, high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes.

Work out with a friend

Two heads are always better than one, so grab a friend to exercise with. The support and motivation will go a long way towards achieving results. And with the crime rate these days, it’s better to have a companion, especially if you’re doing an outdoor workout.

Commit to early morning exercise

Everyone needs an extra minute of sleep, but if you can rise early and squeeze in at least 30 minutes for exercise, you’ll be more likely to keep to your regime.

Plus, once you get the exercise bit out of the way, you’ll also have plenty of energy left for the rest of the day.

Combine cardio and strength training

Instead of allocating separate days for cardio and strength training, combine both. Do a two-minute cardio routine and add two strength moves (e.g. crunches and push-ups). Repeat the cardio and add two more strength moves (e.g. squats and tricep dips).

Not only does it help with muscle retention, but it also promotes a faster metabolic rate and enhances lipolysis, speeding up the rate of fat loss.

Cool down and stretch

Cooling down is equally as important as warming up, though many people fail to realise this and jump into the next activity immediately.

Cooling down restores the body to a pre-exercise state in a controlled manner, helps the body repair itself, and can lessen muscle soreness the following day. Gentle walking for five to 10 minutes is good to recover the heart’s resting rate. After that, perform some static stretches by holding the stretch for at least 20 seconds.

Eat healthy

Try to eat healthy (cut out the fried stuff) and load up on fruits and veggies, but don’t skip your favourite desserts, no matter how sinful they are. Instead, have a mini serving to satiate your taste buds.

Research reveals that skipping dessert can backfire and leave you wanting more. In a 2010 study published in the journal Obesity, dieters who were restricted from eating a small dessert were more likely to be left “wanting” than those who had a bite of sweets. Eliminating your favourite foods can be a recipe for disaster and may create an obsession.

Personally, I can’t keep to resolutions. As I get older (translation: injuries that take longer to heal), I occasionally cut myself some slack and allow my body a break to recharge for a week. But, that doesn’t mean I do nothing. I still stretch in bed, do breathing exercises, or take long strolls and get to know the neighbourhood dogs.

After all, you’re not participating in a sprint to get fit. Rather, we’re all runners in this slow, steady marathon for better health. There are no winners or losers, just healthier, trimmer individuals and less medical expenses.

On that note, here’s wishing readers a happy new and fit year ahead!

Contributed yy Revathi Murugappan

The writer is a certified fitness trainer who tries to battle gravity and continues to dance, but longs for some bulk and flesh in the right places. She hopes to do one final dance in 2014 before gracefully bowing out from stage to make way for the next generation.

Innovation can start from home

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BUSINESS UNUSUAL By Dr KAMAL JIT SINGH

‘Rinnovating’ your home to be greener and cheaper to maintain can sometimes be just a matter of choice of colour or materials, and the result is an improved quality of life.



INNOVATION, contrary to popular belief, is not exclusive to scientists, inventors and tech companies. It isn’t an alien concept that will overwhelm the average Joe or some complicated formula that becomes a magic potion for big problems.

More often than not, innovation is simplifying complicated things, whether it’s a product or a process. Innovative products or processes may result in new wealth being created, increased productivity and efficiency and so on.

The bottom line is, innovation is something we all can do by challenging conventions, asking the right questions and thinking outside the box. And the result is an improved quality of life.

And what better place to start living innovatively than right at home?

In the context of our homes, innovation can be applied to improve not only the livability and comfort of the house, but also security, safety, and health levels, environmental impact and maintenance costs, in addition to prolonging the lifespan of the structure and its contents.

When we talk about a home being comfortable and livable, the most immediate requirement that comes to mind will be space maximisation and optimisation.

With home-owning costs skyrocketing, most of us have had to pay more for less space, especially in urban areas like the Klang Valley.

With things only getting tougher for the next generation, the first innovative ideas involve picking fixtures, furniture and accessories that are not only functional and aesthetically pleasing, but also don’t take up too much space, are multi-taskable, expandable or collapsible.

Reorganise your storage areas and utilise unused space (wall mounted shelves are a good example).

There are many innovative products out there that can make your dwelling a 21st century home, but understandably, getting them will probably set you back quite a bit.

Innovating your home doesn’t have to cost a bomb. In fact, innovatively renovating (“rinnovating”, perhaps?) your home to be greener, cheaper to maintain can be DIY (do-it-yourself), and sometimes it’s a matter of choice of colour or materials that make the difference.

Allow more natural lighting into the house by either having more windows or picking lighter coloured curtains, furniture and paint. Put up mirrors to reflect lights around the house — they also help to give the illusion of space.

Use energy-saving bulbs and low-energy appliances, solar-powered outdoor appliances and heaters, in addition to collecting rainwater for general washing purposes.

Check the pipes and cables, ensuring they are maintained to prevent leakages. These choices not only save you money, but help save the environment, too.

Encourage occupants to live better or adopt better and healthier lifestyles, like separating recyclable wastes, recycling old products and used packages, repurposing them and extending their lifespan.

Stick reminders to inculcate the habit in everyone in the household to switch off appliances and lights when not in use. Encourage the family to exercise by placing things that naturally go together in different rooms or on different floors.

If you absolutely must get a video game console for your children, go for wii, which requires gamers to move more muscles in their bodies than just their fingers to enjoy the games.

Better yet, get your kids sports gear or bicycles and devise an innovative way to chase them out of their rooms and play outside every evening!

Plant certain herbs like citronella, horsemint or marigold that repel mosquitoes. That way, you avoid using harmful chemical-based insecticides and save, too, in addition to having a lovely garden.

Needless to say, there are millions of ways to innovate your home and the household, according to your taste, budget and needs. The point is for you to be constantly excited about truly improving your home.

After all, who says smart buildings are only the modern skyscrapers?

> Datuk Dr Kamal Jit Singh is the CEO of Agensi Inovasi Malaysia (AIM). It is the vanguard of innovation in Malaysia. Established by the Government through an Act of Parliament, AIM will be the driving force behind Malaysia’s push towards establishing an innovation economy.

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