Drinking a glass of water, exercising, and meditating briefly in the morning will help you feel less stressed and more focused, according to Kien Vuu, an anti-aging doctor in the US.
Mr. Vuu starts each day with a simple routine that lasts just 10 minutes, but incorporates many science-based strategies for a longer, healthier life.
According to Vuu, there are five “pillars” of health: physical, mental, emotional, social, and purpose.
While putting it all together may sound overwhelming, if you incorporate each aspect into your daily healthy routine it only takes a few minutes at a time.
Vuu's morning routine includes several longevity-boosting activities, such as exercise, stress-relieving breathing, and short meditations to improve your mental and emotional health. This 10-minute routine can help you start your day on the right foot, stay focused and energized, and help extend your life at the same time.
Start your day with a glass of water and sunshine
The first thing Vuu does when he wakes up is drink 200-400ml of water, with lemon and electrolytes or mineral salts (such as Himalayan pink salt or Celtic sea salt, which contain more calcium and magnesium than regular table salt). Doing so will help restore hydration and add nutrients.
Vuu also tries to get direct sunlight on her skin and face in the morning, so that her body's natural sleep-wake cycle is supported, to maintain stable energy levels.
Do Qigong and Burpees for 5 Minutes
Next, Vuu energizes his day with qigong, a gentle, mindful exercise practice rooted in traditional Chinese medicine. Two moves he recommends are:
Jumping Qigong : Raise your shoulders up, then drop them down, allowing your entire body to bounce as if you were on a trampoline.
Qigong Twists : Keeping your arms relaxed, twist from side to side, allowing your hands to swing and patting your chest as you rotate. Repeat, patting your thighs after each twist.
Then Vuu does another high intensity set of about 10-15 burpees. Burpees are A series of consecutive movements that help burn calories, reduce excess fat and lose weight effectively.
Short bouts of exercise, especially those that increase your heart rate, can improve concentration and help prevent the negative health effects of being sedentary.
“Just five minutes is enough to boost energy,” Vu says.
Breathing techniques help increase concentration and reduce stress. Photo: Freepik
A few minutes to breathe
After exercising, Vuu spends 2-3 minutes practicing breathing techniques to help increase concentration and reduce stress.
There are many deep breathing techniques you can try, the simplest being to inhale through your nose for four seconds, hold your breath for seven seconds, and exhale for eight seconds.
Here is the breathing exercise Vuu suggests:
- Inhale through your nose, focusing on "belly breathing" and expanding your belly.
- Without exhaling, immediately inhale through your nose again, drawing air into your chest.
- Exhale through your mouth.
- Repeat 10 cycles, then do the same at double speed.
Next:
- Take a deep breath in through your nose, using all the muscles in your body, and hold for 10 to 15 seconds.
- Exhale through your mouth, then pause for 30 seconds, focusing your thoughts on a few things you hope will happen in the day ahead. Examples include connection, calmness, focus, or joy.
- Finish with one last deep breath, hold for 10-15 seconds and release.
- Repeat twice.
End your morning routine with a short gratitude meditation.
Meditation is a regular part of Vuu’s routine, especially exercises that emphasize gratitude. He was initially skeptical of gratitude exercises and focused on accomplishments or milestones instead of what he already had.
“I didn’t really notice gratitude until my 30s. I felt like I needed to achieve more to feel valuable,” Vuu says.
Gratitude meditation simply involves taking a minute to focus on the things in your life that you are grateful for. Vuu says this causes changes in the body and brain that can boost health and longevity. For example, evidence suggests that gratitude releases feel-good hormones like oxytocin, which can lower blood pressure and regulate other measures of physical and mental health.
“Every time we feel gratitude, it creates a biochemical response that has an anti-inflammatory effect,” Vuu explains.
Khanh Linh (According to Business Insider )
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