Test

40% How much longer it can take to solve maths problems when attempting to multi-task

Put down your pens, people. More of us than ever are working longer hours too often, and it’s starting to have an impact on our mental and physical health and wellbeing. In the past five years the number of people working excessive hours – defined as more than 48 hours a week – has risen 15%, according to research by the TUC. Workers who spend such long hours at their desks are exposed to a significant increase in their risk of developing heart disease, stress, mental illness and diabetes. Here are four ways you can work smarter so you can leave the office earlier and spend more time doing the things you enjoy.

➊ Multi-tasking might feel like a shortcut to success but it’s actually the fast route to failure. Our brains work best when focusing solely on one job, not when juggling multiple projects. Study subjects who had to switch between tasks took up to 40% longer to complete complicated maths problems than those who focused on solving one at a time, the Journal Of Experimental Psychology reported.

➋ Prioritising the key tasks is important but it’s also good to keep ticking off boxes on your to-do list for a sense of achievement and success. A separate conclusion from the multi-tasking study was that failing to solve work problems released stress hormones and adrenaline, creating a vicious circle of more pressure, anxiety and fear that work would never be finished.

➌ If you tend to procrastinate or feel overwhelmed by the volume of work, try the Pomodoro technique. Advocates set a timer to work for 25 solid minutes on a task. When time’s up, take a five-minute break, then do another 25. After four work periods, take a break of 15-30 minutes. Creator Francesco Cirillo used a pomodoro (tomato-shaped) kitchen timer, but you don’t have to.

➍ Parkinson’s law says work always expands to fill the time available to do it. Setting yourself artificially early deadlines for big jobs, or breaking them down into smaller daily chunks, can increase focus and motivation. And take a five-minute break every hour: a study from the University of Illinois found that regular short work breaks significantly increase people’s ability to focus for prolonged periods.

➊ MUSHROOMS

Mushrooms are full of chitin, a type of water-insoluble dietary fibre that makes up the cell walls of all fungi. Insoluble fibre is not metabolically active so it doesn’t contain calories, but it does add bulk to meals. Add mushrooms to stews, sauces and omelettes to stay feeling full.

➋ NUTS

All nuts are high in water-soluble dietary fibre, which is dissolved and fermented in the colon. Of all nuts almonds have the most fibre per 100g, so snack on them when hunger strikes to avoid the temptation of sweet snacks. You’ll also get a whack of vitamins B and E.

➌ LEGUMES

Beans, pulses and other crops in the legume family are low in calories but high in soluble fibre and decent amounts of protein – 100g of chickpeas contains around 7g – as well as other essential vitamins and minerals. Use them to bulk out soups, sauces and other main meals.

➍ CARROTS

Most varieties of root vegetables are high in soluble fibre, while their skins are full of insoluble fibre, especially sweet potatoes. Cover chopped root veg and peppers in olive oil and roast in the oven for a low-calorie, nutrient-dense side for steak and other protein choices.

Eat less for a longer life

We all know that eating too much too often will lead to weight gain which, if left unchecked, turns into obesity and a reduction in life quality and expectancy. But new research on mice has shown that a diet restricted in calories, but which still contains enough essential nutrients, might itself increase longevity. New research published in the Journal Of Proteome Research suggests a calorie-restricted diet, similar to that of intermittent fasting, delays the onset of agerelated disorders by reducing the amount of damaging compounds in the body and positively changing hormone levels and upping fat metabolism.

DO THESE DRILLS TO STAY HEALTHY

When runners get together you can be certain two topics of conversation will arise. The first is their personal bests, the second the various injuries they’ve suffered chasing those times. Indeed, a Danish study found that out of 930 new runners – those who had only started in the last year – 254 suffered a running-related injury within 12 months of training.

“Bad movement patterns and muscular imbalances can cause damage to ankles, knees and hips and contribute to injury, which is why all my running clients lift, jump and squat,” says coach and sports science expert David Arnot, cofounder of personal training studio Evolve 353. Try Arnot’s at-home drills to injury-proof your body. “The aim with these sessions isn’t to increase the size of your muscles but their strength and stability so you run more efficiently and reduce your risk of injury,” he says.

❶ LYING HIP CLAM

Why This move strengthens your glutes and will prevent your knees caving in during your runs to reduce the chances of developing long-term knee injuries.

How Lie on your side with your knees slightly bent and one leg resting on top of the other. Raise your top knee as high as you can, pause, then lower back to the start. Complete all the reps on one side, then switch and do it on the other side.

How many Do three sets of 15-20 reps with 60 seconds’ rest between sets.

❷ UNWEIGHTED SQUAT

Why Squats increase leg strength so that each stride will become easier. To make this move harder, you can do it while holding a dumbbell in each hand by your sides.

How Stand tall, keeping your chest up. Bend your hips and knees to squat down as deep as you can, until your thighs are at least parallel to the floor. Keep your knees in line with your toes, and your weight on your heels.

How many Do three sets of 12-15 reps with two minutes’ rest between sets.

❸MULTI PLANE LUNGE

Why These will give you strength in different positions – you want to be strong as you turn, not just on the straights. You can also do this move holding a pair of dumbbells by your sides in each hand.

How Stand tall, keeping your chest up, then lunge forward and back, then to the side and back, then behind you and back, with good form. Do all the reps, then swap legs and repeat.

How many Do three sets of 15 reps on each leg, with two minutes’ rest between sets.

❹ BOX JUMP

Why Doing this move improves power through the hips and will help your leg drive up those hills. Make sure you have a solid raised box or platform to use.

How Stand in front of a knee-height box. Drop into a quarter-squat, swing your arms back then explode upwards to jump onto the box. Bend your knees as you land to absorb the force, step down and repeat. Stop if you feel fatigued.

How many Do three sets of eight reps with two minutes’ rest between sets.

99% of people who follow a restrictive diet regain all the weight they lost within one year, according to research analyst Datamonitor

Indulging your sweet tooth when on a diet might not spell disaster for your fat-loss plan. Indeed, it might be the key to getting into better shape. People who eat chocolate several times a week are slimmer than those who only eat it very occasionally, even though it’s high in calories from sugar and fat. Other factors, such as daily activity levels, were also included in the research, published in the Archives Of Internal Medicine journal. It’s thought that having a little bit of what you fancy isn’t just good for you mentally because it gives you a brief time-out from your diet, but it might also help you to continue to burn fat by spiking levels of the hormone leptin, which tells your brain you are getting enough energy so it continues to release fat from cells to burn as fuel. Just don’t make every day cheat meal day.

ASK THE EXPERTS

Can diet cheaters sometimes prosper?

We asked three top fitness experts for their take on a break from the meal plan

Photography Getty

A tactical cheat meal stokes your metabolism and eases diet boredom, says outdoor training expert Andrew Tracey (wayofthenomad.co.uk)

“Prolonged periods of calorie restriction trigger hormonal changes that eventually slow down fat loss. A tactical inclusion of your favourite high-calorie ‘cheat foods’ on a regular basis tells your body that it’s no longer in a restrictive mode and keeps your metabolism healthy, creating a more sustainable diet plan. That’s the key to continued success.”

Finding a sustainable and healthy way of eating is the secret to success, says Matt Warner, head of personal training at Ultimate Performance Manchester

“A cheat meal will not derail body composition improvements for most – although cheat days or cheat weekends are a different story! If you plan and prepare meals to hit your health and fitness goal – and stick to your plan – you will make great progress, but remember that ultimately the best plan is one you can adhere to for life.”

A cheat meal gives you a mental and physical boost but you need portion control, says Shaun Stafford, performance director at City Athletic gym in London (cityathletic.co.uk)

“When planning a cheat meal you should try to be sensible with portion size. Instead of having a whole takeaway to yourself, share it with someone – and you don’t have to eat a whole tub of Ben & Jerry’s just because you’ve opened it! This approach will prevent you going overboard, while providing a psychological boost that’ll keep you on track.”

Struggling to de-stress? Then try stretching it away – you’ll improve both how you feel and your long-term health. People who practised yoga for 90 minutes twice a week for three months reported lower feelings of both stress and fatigue, with blood tests showing a 10-15% reduction in the key biological markers for inflammation, according to research published in the American Society Of Clinical Oncology journal. Long-term chronic inflammation is thought to be responsible for many life-threatening conditions, including heart disease and cancer, so get into yoga or other meditation-based exercise to stay feeling fit, happy and healthy.

Model Daniel Ventura

1 Maintain tension

The only way to get your abs to grow thicker and more defined is to make sure they are exposed to the maximum amount of tension every time you train them.

Why it works

“To make a muscle grow you must make it work harder than it has done before,” says former Royal Marine PTI Sean Lerwill. “Tension is key to increasing workload, so ensure your abs are engaged before you do a single rep then focus on maintaining this tension until the set finishes.”

2 Pause at the top

Taking a one-second pause at the top of a crunch, or any other abs-specific move, significantly increases how much work your abs muscles must do in each set.

Why it works

“Introducing a pause not only forces you to think about muscular tension, it also works the abs hard to support your bodyweight in this top position. That means you’re more likely to maintain tension during the lowering part, which is when most people switch off,” says Lerwill.

3 Take your time

Rushing your reps might get the set over quicker, but taking your time will work your muscles thoroughly and make your results rocket.

Why it works

“When training your abs the quality of each rep is more significant to muscular growth and definition than quantity of reps,” says Lerwill. “Slowing each rep down so your abs do all the work prevents any ‘cheat’ reps to give you better results faster.”

4 Vary the angles

Hitting your abs from a variety of angles will activate more muscle fibres for greater growth returns.

Why it works

“For the most impressive six-pack possible you need to work your obliques – your side abs – which are responsible for rotating your torso,” says Lerwill. “The more exercises you do that move your torso in different ways – up, down, left, right – the greater the growth potential.”

5 Add resistance

As with all muscles, once your abs are comfortable managing a given weight they’ll no longer have the impetus to grow. Adding extra weight forces them to keep adapting.

Why it works

“Once you can do an abs move until the cows come home, you need additional resistance to give your muscles the stimulus they need to keep responding and growing,” says Lerwill.

6 Do static holds

Isometric or static holds such as planks work your entire core, especially the deep-lying muscles that play a pivotal role in torso stability and good posture.

Why it works

“Planks and other static holds should form a key part of your abs training plan,” says Lerwill. “Prioritise good form and keeping your abs, lower back and glutes engaged. This will activate the small stabilising muscles behind fluid movement, and allow you to lift heavier when doing big moves like squats and deadlifts.”

With only three calories per clove and no real protein, fats or vitamins to speak of, it’s easy to think that the only benefit of garlic is adding a tasty kick to your dinner. But new research, published in the Journal Of Agricultural And Food Chemistry, suggests that hydrogen sulfide – the compound responsible for garlic’s pungent smell – acts as a chemical messenger that instructs your blood vessels to relax, allowing more blood to move through and so reducing the workload on your heart. However, hydrogen sulfide is only formed when fresh garlic is cut or crushed, so dried garlic or garlic extract won’t have the same heart-healthy quality. But while garlic is good news for your ticker, it’s not for your breath – so don’t forget the gum.

63% The reduction in the number of colds suffered by subjects given garlic versus a placebo in a 12-week study, according to the Journal Of Advances In Therapy