Role of neuroscience in sports

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If you are wondering what Neuroscience has to do with sports training, the answer is - everything! The difference between good athletes and great ones is that great athletes know that the way to maximize their strength and potential is to train both their mind and body. This is where sports neuroscience comes in. It helps athletes understand the neurobiological effects of their training.

Sports neuroscience has exploded so much in recent years that there are now doctoral programs in top schools around the country that focus exclusively on sports neuroscience research. In this article, I will share 5 important aspects of your sports training that you can hack with a little help from neuroscience.

Understanding Your Physiology

Any sport is intrinsically a physiological activity requiring excellent motor skills, reflexes and strength depending on the type of sport you play. Physiology, unlike anatomy, differs for each athlete and involves important factors such as environmental conditions, hydration level, body composition and carb loading. Sports physiology helps athletes and coaches recognise the effects of their training regimen on their body.

Seek the help of a sports physiologist who can help you understand the physiological demands of your specific sport and help you train at your highest level. Sports physiologists will typically measure how you perform under various test conditions to study and identify your areas of improvement. Using this information, your coaches can then design a customized training program that is specifically tailor made for your body.

Holistic Lifestyle Enhancement

Elite athletes recognize that much of their success lies outside of the training room as it does inside. For example, you can hardly be expected to be a top athlete if you are on the brink of debt and faced with a huge financial burden. Similarly, over the course of years you may have developed certain habits such as waking up late or sleeping too few hours that are detrimental to your sports performance.

Holistic lifestyle enhancement allows you to recognize that it is very important to develop successful habits in all aspects of your life to augment your sport training. If your coach is not a trained performance lifestyle practitioner, seek the help of one. These experts can provide the support that is necessary to truly live a healthy lifestyle. They can also help you through financial counselling and help you identify your options after your sports career.

Consistent Analysis of Performance

Depending on the level of expertise you want to attain, it is very important to keep consistently measuring and analysing your performance. Ask your friend or coach to record your training sessions or practice games and make sure you watch them after each game. Introspection and learning are crucial mental factors that are likely to affect your performance.

If you want to learn more from your games including specific technical and tactical mistakes you are making in the game, then consider investing in an analysis software. For almost every major sport, there exists performance analysis software that can provide you with great insight about your game. The more training sessions you have and the more games you upload in the analysis software, the more data and insights you can gather. For example, one athlete recognized that he performed better on indoor tracks as opposed to outdoor fields.

Mental Training

Constant physical training can be an exhausting activity. Add to it a few losses and you are looking at a recipe for disaster. Mental training is not just important but essential for successful sports performance. Sports neuroscience ranks it among the top things to-do for athletes of all levels. Mental training provides you with the discipline necessary to consistently perform on and off the field. Sports neuroscience plays a pivotal role because it can help trainers and coaches develop mental training methods based on every athlete’s specific needs.

Performance Nutrition

The final hack is one that is most overlooked. With athletes typically averaging 5-7 meals per day to keep energy levels up, it is crucial to understand what you can and cannot eat in each of those meals. Understanding your diet involves an understanding of your environmental factors, your specific sport, energy expended and your body composition.

Each meal you eat can alter your body in a small but significant way that could ultimately be the difference between a win or a loss. If you are training 3-4 hours per day, the last thing you want is to succumb to diseases and then realize that you have botched your immune system because you have not had proper nutritious meals.

So, there you go! These are five ways to hack your sports training and improve your performance. Whether you are practicing for the Olympics or for your local league match, these hacks will surely be useful in taking your sport to the next level. Good luck!

How to make a blog: An easy guide

Blog is basically a simple website that focuses on written content that is also referred to as blog posts. It is a pretty common term nowadays and there are gazillions of blogs out there with different niches. There are news blogs, then there are cooking blogs, tech blogs and list goes on. Still the need for content and useful blogs remains the same with hundreds of blogs being made for every topic each day.

Do you make a blog too? Are you specifically passionate about a specific subject or topic or need to convey your skills and expertise to your audience? Then you should definitely make your own blog. In this post, we will tell exactly how to make a blog?

Can you make a blog?

There are some widespread misconceptions about starting your own blog. For instance, some individuals believe that you have to be an exceptional writer to start your own blog or should have some expertise in an area to make your blog. These and various other misconceptions are not true.

Tell me tell you why. Everyone can not be a skilled writer but they can have knowledge, expertise and passion about a certain topic that they want to share with the world. You may have seen various blogs with an informal and conversational style of writing but the information they convey is meaningful. Similarly, a person might not be an expert in something. Let’s say skills like poetry, cooking, pottery etc. A person may be in the initial stages of learning these skills and they are not necessarily a certified poet or chef, or a commercial high level pottery maker but still they can share whatever they learn with others through their blog. It’s always a good idea to know that how to create a blog and make money?

Reasons for making your blog

There can be several reasons for making a blog:

1)      You want to work from home

By making a blog you do not have to go outside your home to earn money. You can work from home without leaving your comfort zone. Several bloggers make lucrative amount of profits from their blogs.

2)      It is easier to work online from home

The best part about earning through blogging is the passive income you get. You just need to spend a few hours in a week to create a blog post and then generate the income through your blog. It is easier to work online from home like this right?

So without further ado let’s learn how to make a blog site

How to start Blog make money

1)      First choose a blog name

Before you learn how to start blog make money, choose a suitable name for your blog as names have an everlasting impact on your potential visitors. Look out for a genre of your blog. Is it a travel blog? A cooking blog? Or simply a platform to share musings and confessions? Choose a name accordingly.

2)      Choose a domain name extension

The .com domain is the most preferred one but you can also opt for the other domain names. Just make sure it is available.

3)      Be descriptive

It is always a good idea to give your audience an idea about who you are and what your blog is about. For instance, if this blog is sharing that how to make a blog site, you will also find other posts related to this niche.

4)      Make it online

This might sound a little technical but you need to host your blog and require blogging software. You may find various blog hosts online who will register your blog with domain name so that it becomes exclusively yours and also install a software for your blog.

5)      Customizing your blog

After a host has set up a blog online for you, just log in to your blog with the given process. Usually, its something like http://www.blog.com/wp-admin. Replace the word ‘blog’ with the actual name of your blog.

After signing in as an administrator of the blog, you can make the required changes to your blog. Change the layout and design as you wish. Choose the colour schemes of your choice and the font etc. If you are using wordpress, then blog themes might be available to customize your blog.  Just look for the appearance tab anywhere on your screen mostly on the left and click on it. You will be able to find ready-made themes there.

6)      Write a post and publish it

There must be a button named “posts”. Click on it and choose add new. Here you can add a new post with the fonts of your choice and with whole custom tailored layout that you can choose. Write a post and publish! Make sure that your first blog post is really good to create a good impression. Also make sure to remove ‘’coming soon’’ page if there is any.

7)      Advertise your blog

Social media is the best place to publicize your blog posts. Share the excerpts from your blog and share the links to promote it. Make sure to start an email marketing campaign. If the readers like your content start collecting their emails and requests to see what exactly are they expecting out of this blog.

8)      Making money

Once you have successfully published and advertised your blog, you can start making money. The easiest way to do this is to sell an advertising space. Let the advertisers of products know that a space is available on your blog to show their ads. When you will upload their ads to your site, you will get a commission each time a visitor visits your blog and click on their ad. It Is always a good idea to choose the ads according to the content of your blog to generate more clicks.

Now you know that how to create a blog and earn money. It is not difficult, just some dedication and hard work will pay off in the long run.

8 Things your feet are saying about your health

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A foot is perhaps the most overlooked part of the body and gets very little attention. Besides painting our toes now and then and plucking off that stray hair during sandal season, our feet are mostly ignored. But did you know that a foot is the perfect indicator of our overall health and provides valuable pointers that we should take note of. If you experience any of these below, make sure you consult your general practitioner immediately.

Stinky Feet

If you have improper hygiene, your feet are likely to show the first signs of it. While stinking or smelly feet may not signal anything dangerous, it is nevertheless an important indicator. If the feet continue to smell even after you have restored your hygiene (for example, by taking a bath), then it may be a sign of fungal infection such as athlete’s foot. Always wear cotton socks to prevent smelly feet and regularly wash both your shoes (yes, your shoes need to be cleaned!) and socks.

Foot Cramps

If you had recently walked or hiked long distances or worn shoes without ankle support, then it is likely that the foot cramps were caused because of that. However, if you don’t think any of that applies to you then foot cramps could be an indicator of issues with the nervous system such as vasculitis or arteritis. It could also be something as harmless as nutritional deficiency such as low calcium or magnesium. After periods of high exercise always make sure to rest your feet and give it a proper foot massage.

Yellow Toenails

Unlike common assumption, yellow toenails are not a sign of improper hygiene. Rather it is a sign of fungal infection called as Onychomycosis. Many people ignore this symptom and do not pay attention believing that it would go away in time. However, onychomycosis fungus keeps growing under the toenail and since feet are usually in cold and moist places (inside a shoe), it provides the perfect breeding ground for the fungus. In extreme cases, it has caused people to lose the entire toenail.

A sore that won’t heal

A sore that doesn’t heal is a very important indicator for diabetes mellitus. Because diabetes causes increased glucose levels, it prevents any wound from healing properly. If your sore does not go away in a few days consult a doctor immediately. A sore could also be an indicator for skin cancer.

Perpetually cold feet

While some people prefer their feet cold when sleeping, yet others have naturally cold feet. If your feet seem unusually cold, then it could be an indication of hypothyroidism. It means that your thyroid gland is secreting less thyroid hormones than necessary for proper body functioning.  You can confirm this with a simple blood test at home or by visiting the nearest doctor.

Heel Pain

While it is common in women who wear stilettos, pain in the heel could be a symptom of several issues. It could be a sign for ligament inflammation or it could be a sign that you are starting to develop varicose veins. Try wearing flat heeled and open toes shoes to see if the symptoms persist. If they do, consult a doctor right away.

A Puffy Toe

At first glance a puffy toe may seem like the result of hitting your toe against a hard surface. But if your puffy and enlarged toe does not subside within a few hours, it may be a sign of gout. Gout which is a form of arthritis is caused by the accumulation of uric acid. Monitor your toe for a few days to see if it continues to be puffy and visit a podiatrist at first opportunity.

Pitted Toenails

Pitted toenails could be an indicator of the immune condition psoriasis. In general psoriasis manifests in the skin but in rare cases, some people may find their toenails to have small holes or pits in them. It is easily treated with over the counter medication.

Great ways to spruce up your gender reveal party!

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The emotion of revealing the gender of the baby in your belly cannot be explained in words. And what better ways to make it happen that at a gender reveal party. Well, the concept is not new to folks, but what’s new is how you organize the party and what the unique ways in which you can reveal the gender. And the party becomes more exciting when no one, I mean no one in the family has a clue about what’s happening!

The best part about a gender reveal party is not just the revealing part but being surrounded by all your family and friends. Gender reveal is not just special for the soon to be parents but also for the myriad aunts, uncles and grandparents. And keep in mind, the true success of a gender reveal party is when the news finally dawns on the parents! So, whether you are a partner planning the party for your spouse or if you are a friend, relative or colleague, here are a few tips and tricks that will help spruce up the party.

Let the balloons surprise you

As common as it is, pink and blue balloons are a time-tested way to go. The individual responsible for organizing the party must know the gender of the baby and then all you need to do is place the pink or blue balloons in a box. Keep that huge box in your backyard, lawn or garden and open the box at the countdown of 3. And that’s it! The color of balloons will say it all! One cannot even express that feeling just a second before the box opens! It’s spectacular and scary at the same time!

And if you are planning this party and want to keep the gender as a surprise for you too, then all you must do is have a word with doctor who will slide an envelope to you with the gender printed inside. Just slide that envelope to your trusted friend or party organizer and everything will be taken care of!

Blue and Pink must be your food

All you need is a passion to bake, a little food coloring and a great backyard and you can create a magical gender reveal in minutes. Organize the dining table with a giant cake and other delectable food! Use a pink or blue food die to color the cake and cover it in white frosting. In the end, you will only be able to see the white frosting and not the color within.

When the soon-to-be parents cut the cake, the joy on their faces will be the perfect reward. Plus, you get to enjoy some delicious cupcakes while you’re at it!

Family Matters

Why not get the spectators involved by handing out pink or blue color t-shirts to your guests? You can either use apparel accessories like: pink or blue caps, hand bands, tattoos or just pins. If your party has kids in it, do not forget to get them some fun accessories too. But before you plan such an idea, make sure that each member in the family (especially the kids) are kept from divulging the secret. And then, when the time is right, let all the members of the party give a surprise to the would-be parents and revel in their priceless reactions.

Post it on Social Media

If you cannot gather your family around, you can still surprise them on social media. There are several ways you can post a gender reveal on social media. All you need to do is when you know the gender of your baby, fill your palm with pink or blue ink and leave a print on a plain white t-shirt and post it on social media profile. Another idea is to leave the imprint of that specific color on the belly of the would-be mother! This is an amazing way to surprise the mother as well. Best of all, you get to share the joy with your friends and family from around the world.

Baby Outfits

How about opening a present with the outfit of the baby! If it’s a girl, you might want to buy a little princess pink dress and a probably a blue suit if it’s a boy! But who will prepare this present if everyone wants to be surprised? Well, all you need to do is tell your doctor to write the gender inside an envelope and go to a baby apparel shop. Choose outfits for both genders and slide the envelope to the shop assistant! And they will take care of the rest and pack the right one inside a sealed bag.  And you get to walk away not knowing what is inside the bag.

Get Silly with Silly String

This creative idea is most enjoyed by the kids in the party. So, all you have to do is hand over the silly string spray of a specific color (pink/blue) and let the kids reveal the gender. And why only kids! Hand over silly string spray to everyone at the party and they will enjoy the revealing too.

And if you want, you can enjoy a gender reveal party with every technique listed above. You can have box of balloons in the garden. When the box opens, all your guests can spray silly string wearing pink/blue caps. And your husband can surprise you with baby t shirts. And all the fun can continue to the colored theme desserts and cupcakes in the garden.

And yes, don’t forget to record the priceless expression of the soon-to-be parents and each member in the family. You might want to use that video in future to tell your kid how special he/she was for the entire family and how everyone reacted during the surprising reveal! Gender reveal parties are a great way to enjoy time with your family and friends and revel in the bundle of joy you are soon about to have.

3 Meditation Techniques from Around the World

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In this world of technology and constant stress, meditation is a great way to relax, unwind and a chance to focus inward. Ancient civilizations around the world recognized the importance of meditation and devised several techniques that are designed to heal the mind and spirit. Whether you are feeling down or lethargic or simply want a break from all the chaos around you, try one of these meditation techniques and feel your spirits lift

The Buddhist Samatha Meditation

The word ‘Samatha’ means serenity or tranquillity and the objective of this meditation is to calm your inner self. The Buddhist meditation techniques share several similarities with other techniques from South Asian religions such as Jainism and Hinduism. These techniques are designed to help alleviate anger and improve concentration, insight and mindfulness.

For this technique, sit quietly in a room devoid of any sounds or interruptions. Make sure you do not have any cell phones, televisions or speakers on. Slowly concentrate inward on your breath and count the number of breaths you take. When you release a breath, feel the worries and tensions drain away from your body. You can also choose to meditate in front of an inanimate object such as a statue or flower pot. Concentrating on a single spot on the object allows your mind to relax and prevents excessive visual and cognitive distractions.

The Samatha meditation provides great inner peace in the short term and when performed periodically over a period allows you to achieve greater control over your thoughts and provides tranquillity in times of stress. Ultimately, the goal of Samatha is to help achieve nirvana or enlightenment. So, what are you waiting for. Grab your yoga mat and head down to quiet and peace.

New Age Hindu Transcendental Meditation

Transcendental meditation or TM is an ancient technique from the Hindu Upanishads that was brought to the west by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in 1959. It is perhaps the most well-known technique in the west with several hundred researchers publishing studies that suggest TM can help with stress, anxiety and improving brain function. The TM technique involves repeating a specific mantra accompanied by rhythmic breathing.

TM teachers claim that it is an effortless technique that can be practiced by both sceptics and believers. It currently has over six million followers worldwide and has helped several soldiers deal with post-traumatic stress disorder or PTSD.

Although transcendental meditation has several advocates, critics argue that the benefits achieved through transcendental meditation can also be achieved through other meditation techniques. Besides, since TM is taught by accredited teachers, the cost for TM may be as high as $960 making it a stressful way to relieve stress. However, if you are looking for a meditation technique that is endorsed by the likes of Hugh Jackman, then head on over to your nearest TM centre and learn how to achieve inner peace.

Inner Transformation through Taoist Meditation

Taoism or Daoism a Chinese religion that dates back to several hundred centuries; This type of meditation teaches that the power to control your mind and body exists within yourself and the best way to achieve inner peace is by harnessing this power and spirit. One of the key benefits of being able to control and unify the mind and body is to help achieve longevity.

There are several methods of performing Taoist meditation but emptiness meditation is the most commonly used technique. In this method, a person is supposed to remove all thoughts and feelings from their mind. They need to ‘forget about everything’ or empty their mind to achieve inner quiet. When this state is achieved, the spirit or the vital force within the body is able to gain back its strength and replenish it. This is one of the toughest forms of meditation for absolute beginners because a true state of emptiness is almost impossible to achieve even for experienced meditators.

So now that you have learnt some of the most commonly studied and learned meditation techniques, what are you waiting for? Go forth and conquer yourself.