MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR TIME

Posted 07 November 2006

USE YOUR TIME WISELY

From time to time, we all feel like there aren’t enough hours in the day to get all the things we need to done.  

While there are plenty of things that Fitbug can do to improve your quality of life - like giving you more energy, helping you lose weight and improving your sleep - sadly, adding extra hours is outside of our remit!

However, with a little bit of advance planning and by making the most productive use of your time, it is actually possible to cram far more things into your life than you might expect.

In order to get the most out of your day, here’s what research has found to be the most effective use of your time.

• Early morning activity, especially walking, gets your circulation going, blows away the cobwebs and awakens your 'feel good' hormones to ensure that the day starts off with a positive upbeat feel.
• Aim to eat your breakfast within one hour of waking up. It will kick-start your metabolism and stave off hunger pangs until lunch time.
• The most effective business meetings should be held mid-morning rather than later in the day – apparently we perform intellectual tasks 8.6 percent better mid-morning than in the evening!
• Anything stressful is best tackled late morning; research shows that this is when we have our highest level of ‘calm energy’, with rising body temperature and a fresh brain!
• Your body starts thinking about food at about 1pm, even producing more digestive enzymes to cope with it, so try to make regular lunch times and don’t leave it too late.
• Simple mental tasks are best performed around 4pm - our brains become active again around this time.
• Some research has shown that many of us perceive exercise as being 30 per cent easier between 4pm and 6pm than at any other time. Apparently most Olympic records are broken during the time period, with body temperature highest and muscles are at their warmest.
• Stop drinking caffeine four to six hours before you want to go to bed. It actually takes that long for a single cup to leave your system.
• After 9pm is a good time to drink (or eat) calcium because it produces chemicals that improve the quality of your sleep. If you have something to eat at this time, make sure it is a light snack, anything heavy may have a negative impact on your ability to fall asleep.
• Get an early night. One hour’s sleep before midnight is worth two after. Spend some time unwinding and preparing for relaxation and always go to bed at the same time.