Andrew Daly Fitness

One of my favourite things to do on a Sunday afternoon is read a book. It might be funny to hear me post that on a PT page, but reading can be a wonderful thing for your health. Here's the evidence:

A study by the university of Sussex showed that reading a book reduced stress levels by up to 68%. More so than even listening to music or having a cup of tea. Subjects even showed slower heart rates and reduced muscle tension after reading for only 6 minutes! And it doesn't stop there. A study conducted by the University of Liverpool on over 4000 people found that those who read regularly had lower rates of depression and higher levels of self-esteem.

A long-term study published in the journal 'Innovation in Aging' even showed that those who read books tended to live longer than those who didn't.

So before you go down a youtube rabbit-hole, pick up a book and get absorbed. You'll be smarter, happier and will live longer for it. One of the best investments you could make.

Studies which show that increasing good bacteria in your mouth helps to keep your teeth and gums in their best shape. In addition to brushing, flossing and rinsing, many dentists also recommend taking oral probiotics from time to time. This can reduce bad breath and prevent cavities but it can also improve blood pressure and increase exercise performance (believe it or not). The bacteria in your mouth is responsible for nitric oxide (NO) production which enlarges blood vessels and improves blood circulation. This leads to better oxygen delivery and thus, improved performance. To reap the benefits, try probiotic lozenges (as opposed to capsules) which are designed to be sucked and allow the bacteria to form colonies in your mouth. To keep them alive and healthy, avoid strong mouthwashes that contain chlorohexidine as they can kill all bacteria in your mouth, good and bad.

Cold water therapy via the shower or sea swimming is getting a lot of talk lately as being highly beneficial for everything from energy levels to sore joints.

How many people use cold water therapy and what form of it do you use? If you like a dip in the sea let me know if it is worthwhile. I would love to hear more about it. 🥶🥶🥶😁

Feeling tired to my bones...

Sundays we food prep and that includes bone broth. If you haven't tried it yet you should. A good bone broth is a source of collagen and various minerals which can be depleted from caffeine usage (yes you read that right). It is also an immensely comforting hot drink. Great when you're as tired as I look here as I stay off coffee on Sunday and could really do with one 😄. If you are a fan of broth let me know what you add to yours as I would love to get tips from the experienced cooks out there.

"Rain isn't miserable. Letting it keep you indoors all day is."

Daily walks are a must have for many of us now. Make sure you get them in whatever the weather. The resulting boost in cerebral blood flow will boost your mood, lower anxiety and improve your cognition. Rain, wind or shine.

Why learn Irish? There's no benefit.

Aside from the cultural reasons, learning a second language has been proven to be beneficial for mental and cognitive ability in a variety of ways. Here are some of the benefits.

Studies have shown not only an increase in the density and size of certain areas of the brain when learning a language but also that multilingual brains age better, reducing their likelihood of developing alzheimer's or dementia.

Better listening skills: Having more than one language requires you to make sure you are understanding words accurately and what language you are hearing them in.

Focus: For those of you who get distracted easily, speaking a foreign language means you must suppress your original tongue continually while you speak. This ability translates into better attention and concentration.

Problem solving across multiple domains: A study conducted by Strathclyde University found that bilingual children performed better in short-term recall of numbers, arithmetic and problem solving using coloured blocks than their mono-lingual counterparts. Thus growing up bilingual can be a huge head start. Think of those Gaelscoils...

Being healthy is not just about being physically fit. Try learning a second language and aim to be the best version of yourself. It's a big world out there and you never know when it could come in handy.

P.S. Ten points for knowing what the picture is.

"48 adult, male volunteers completed standardized, pencil-and-paper tests of educational development and ability, as well as computerized tests of learning, associative processes, abstraction, and psychomotor performance. Ma*****na impaired all capabilities except abstraction and vocabulary."

Acute effects of ma*****na on cognition: relationships to chronic effects and smoking techniques - PubMed A double-blind, placebo-controlled study assessed acute effects on human cognition of ma*****na smoking involving long or short durations of inhalation and breath holding. During eight test sessions, 48 adult, male volunteers completed standardized, pencil-and-paper tests of educational development....

Fascinating work.

"The relationship between the index finger and ring finger in humans is associated with a variety of abilities in adulthood."

“The greatest effect has been found for various physical and athletic measures, where high levels of prenatal testosterone are consistently linked with better capabilities,” Pintzka says.

Show your fingers to a neuroscientist By comparing your index and ring fingers, a neuroscientist can tell if you are likely to be anxious, or if you are likely to be a good athlete.

Having enough magnesium in your body is essential for natural deep sleep. But did you know that tea and coffee not only interfere with magnesium absorption, but that they actually cause you to excrete it through your urine? A study from the Journal of the Amercian College of Nutrition found that caffeine consumption can cause your body to excrete magnesium for up to six hours through your urine. This doesn't mean that you should ditch your tablets but maybe adding a lotion or Epsom salt bath to your regime would be a good idea as magnesium absorbs readily through the skin. It can also be great for children if they are bad sleepers and unwilling to take a supplement. Although the lotions can tingle on the skin so the sensitive skin versions might be a better option there. 👍

Sunday is the perfect day to prepare a bone broth. Start early, then you can leave it simmering for the whole day. A good broth can last up to 5 days if you store it right. I am aiming to make a short tutorial later this week on how to make one so stay tuned.