Whilst there are many fundamentals for releasing your horsepower there are five that dominate the ranking. Billionaire Warren Buffett said it’s not that I’m more intelligent than anyone else and it’s not that I have more horsepower, it’s just that I have more output. This is as true for our body as it is for financial life. Horsepower potential is one thing. Releasing it is another. Your body is the only vehicle you have. How you fuel and maintain it is crucial optimising your output.
Protein. Protein forms the key building block for our body. If you are doing any kind of resistance training, have the right materials to rebuild is essential. Wear and tear is natural. The last thing you want is to rebuild your vehicle with cheap substitutes. Too much protein and now you could cause an acidic state which can lead to inflammation (causing other nasty things like arthritis, fatigue, weight gain, etc.). The National Health and Medical Research Council recommends 0.84 g/kg or men and 0.75 g/kg for women. For example, ladies who weigh 65kg would multiply that by 0.75 giving a total of 48.75g per day. As a guideline, one serving of meat could yield between 20-28g. One big breakfast and you are done for the day!
Hydration. Your body needs water to work properly. The lack of water can lead to dehydration which can deplete your energy levels and make you tired. So how much fluid does the average, healthy adult living in a temperate climate need? The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine determined that a satisfactory daily fluid intake is about 15.5 cups (3.7 litres) of fluids for men and 11.5 cups (2.7 litres) of fluids a day for women. Don’t panic yet! You can expect around 20 percent of daily fluid intake from food and the rest from drinks. Anyone thirsty?
Exercise. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend the following for adults of all ages:
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At least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise like brisk walking or 75 minutes of rigorous exercise like running (or an equivalent mix of both) every week. You can certainly divide this into shorter bursts of exercise as long as each one lasts at least 10 minutes.
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Strength-training that works all major muscle groups—legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders, and arms—at least two days a week. Strength training may involve lifting weights, using resistance bands, or exercises like push-ups and sit-ups, in which your body weight provides the resistance.
Sleep. Apologies in advance to families with new-born babies. You are probably going to laugh and cry when you read further. Here are the results of the world’s largest sleep study conducted by neuroscientists from Western University's Brain and Mind Institute:
"We found that the optimum amount of sleep to keep your brain performing its best is 7 to 8 hours every night and that corresponds to what the doctors will tell you need to keep your body in tip-top shape, as well. We also found that people that slept more than that amount were equally impaired as those who slept too little," says Conor Wild, the study's lead author. If you have been finding you aren’t as mentally sharp as you would like to be, maybe you need to garage your Ferrari a little longer in the morning.
Mindfulness. Now before you get overly skeptical, consider these four words, give it a go. Why? Well, check out what a study by Sara Lazar, a neuroscientist and assistant professor of psychology at Harvard Medical School found. Lazar documented research that mindfulness meditation can change the brain’s gray matter and brain regions linked with memory, the sense of self, and regulation of emotions. Who couldn’t do with a little more emotional control when people rev your engines?
Mindfulness practice is like a fitness routine for your brain. So, let’s keep it simple. Find a quite space and sit up straight. Close your eyes and start taking a few deep abdominal breaths. As thoughts drift – which they will – gently return your focus to your breath. Start with 10 minutes a day and work up to 20 minutes.
You have the potential of a Ferrari but might only be generating the energy of Hyundai. Apply yourself to just one of these fundamentals for releasing your horsepower per month and you will notice the difference. When you experience what’s been hidden beneath the bonnet, you will be more inclined to apply another fundamental. Fuel yourself with water, protein, exercise, sleep and mindfulness and you will have more energy output at your disposal. Drivers, start your engines…