The future is a comfortable, sleek and stylish place. This, my friends, is a smart shirt. It is programmed to vibrate when your posture is off. So if you are exercising with bad posture or just walking like a monkey the shirt will give you a gentle reminder to fix your form.
The video doesn’t say much. In fact, it seems to be more about that ladies hair than the shirt itself, but to be perfectly honest I was really impressed with the artistic, geometric lines they drew in their. I am betting they used Illustrator or Cinema 4d for that effect.
The shirt was developed by www.electricfoxy.com. It is made of little elastic bands that measure the movements of the wearer, and records them for irregularities.
These are sewn into the shirt
Then it fires the information to some sort of computation device, where you can visual asses your data.
Here we get a visual read out.
In my opinion this is what clothes should be made to do. This could be very beneficial to dancers, golfers, fighters, or any athlete for that matter. And of course if you have bad slouching habits then this will be a very effective way to correct those. I can see how this would improve many athletes and performers by helping them to develop their talents. And also how this could prevent many future back problems. As of now they are not available to buy, but as soon as they are i’m going to let you guys know.
Every once in a while on this site we take a break from the old “fitness fanatic” angle and we look at much simpler approaches to improving our lives. Today I would like to share with you some very interesting techniques to creating creativity.
Doodle Notes
They are notes not masterpieces
The Wall Street Journal discussed how some companies were taking new approaches to developing creativity in their offices. The employees are encouraged to take visual notes (a.k.a. doodle). Big firms are holding seminars and training their employees in what is known as ‘visual note taking’. Some companies are even going so far as to hire graphic recorders, sort of like a stenographer but they doodle instead of type.
Doodling does a number of things that stimulate creativity. They help to generate ideas by illuminating concepts in a new light. They fuel collaboration, adding to a doodle is much easier than adding to an essay. Most of all they simplify communication, they express ideas in a simple and understandable way. So next time you are in class or at work taking notes, work in a few doodle illustrations as well.
Exercise Your Working Memory
Lifehacker.com , a great website, shared a very interesting research done by Ph. D of psychological studies, Art Markman. His research suggest that working memory plays a large role in creativity. Working memory is the memory you use in daily life, your working knowledge, kind of like your RAM. This is not to be confused with your long term memory. Long term memory includes all those fun memories of playing in the backyard as a kid.
Now there isn’t any definitive way to develop working memory, but there are a few approaches that are believed to help. According to a study done by PNAS games like duel n-backactually increase working memory and fluid intelligence. So start playing more brain games.
Improved Vocabulary and Comprehension
Most everyone will say that their thoughts come as words in their head. If you want to be able to better express yourself better then developing vocabulary is key. Not only will you communicate better with those around you but you will also begin to notice your thoughts becoming more in depth.
Vocabulary is easy enough to develop, all you have to do is add one word to your word-stock every day. Also start reading heavier books, this will help you to improve your comprehension and thus improve your thinking and creative abilities.
This exercise is not for the weak of heart, it is not for the lazy, and it is not for anyone who is going to make excuses. INSANITY is an exercise routine that is specifically designed for those who really want to change their physique. It is for those who have the will power and the determination to make a drastic change in their life. This is a home workout routine that lives up to its hype. With just twenty minutes of exercise each day you can look like these people.
I could sit and tell you about this routine, but this video says it a lot better.
Shaun T’s Top Workouts
Do each of these exercises for one minute then switch to the next without stopping. After you have gone through the entire circuit (all six exercises) take a one minute rest. Repeat this circuit three time. It should take a total of twenty minutes.
The HEISMAN
Spread your feet shoulder width apart, keep your arms bent at the elbows and close to your body. Hop onto your left foot while lifting your right knee toward your chest. Drive your left arm forward and right arm back. Then hop onto your right foot and drive your left arm forward and right arm back, like you are running in place. Alternate left foot right foot for an entire minute.
Stance Jacks
Stand with feet together and arms out, so you look like a cross. Jump into a deep squat, lowering left hand toward your right foot. Keep the arms straight, fingers touching and the squat low. Jump back to start and repeat on the opposite side. Alternate between sides for one minute, keep up a quick pace throughout.
Hit The Floor
Start in a regular standing position with shoulder width apart and arms relaxed. Crouch down (as shown) placing the right hand on the floor closer to the left foot. Keep the left arm extend back. Jump in the air and land in a crouch with the position reversed. Repeat exercise for one minute.
Power Jump
Start with feet shoulder width apart. Keep your knees loose, not locked, and lower yourself into a squat. Jump out of the squat raising your knees as high as you can toward your chest. Try placing hands on the knees in midair. Land with knees loose, not locked, and repeat for a minute.
Switch Kick
Start with palms to the floor and feet flat. Keep the buttocks elevated and alternate kicking left foot then right.
Diamond
Start by going into a squat like with the power jump. Lower yourself till thighs are nearly parallel with the floor. Jump into the air touching hands above the head and feet together with bent knees (as shown).
How it Works
Body Weight Resistance
These exercises all utilize body weight resistance, which activates much more muscular resistance than typical weight training because the resistance is spread across more muscle area. This is going to cause more caloric burn and it is going to resonate deeper in the core of the body. So these exercises are not going to turn you into a beefy meat-head, but it will sculpt your body till it looks like you are made of granite. An added bonus to body weight resistance is that you never have to buy any unnecessary equipment.
Different Energy Types
Insanity engages mega-caloric burn by utilizing three different types of energy systems in the body. What is that? You didn’t know about the different energy systems int the body. They are the phosphogen, clycolytic and oxidative.
Phosphogenic energy is used to produce quick rapid burst of energy, like jumping, five second sprints, and other plyometric exercises
Clycolytic energy is used for weight lifting, one minute sprints and other types of anaerobic exercises.
Oxidative energy is used for yoga, long jogs, and all the other aerobic exercises.
(To learn more about the different energy systems follow this link)
There have been other routines that have incorporated aerobic with anaerobic exercise, but INSANITY is the very first to merge all three (aerobic, anaerobic and plyometric) to maximize performance and energy burn. Thus making this routine truly unique and extremely effective. However, like any other routine you have to put effort into it to take any thing out.
The question is, are you insane enough to change your life?
“If I was asked to save the world in a single hour, I would spend 55 minutes identifying the problem and 5 minutes formulating a solution.” Einstein’s little quote illustrates an essential point to problem solving, identifying the problem is much more important than scrambling for an answer.
What I think Mister Einstein was trying to say is, the quality of the solution is going to be directly proportional to the quality of the question. Better questions precede better answers, in depth questions precede in depth answers, and accurate questions precede accurate answers. So if you want to find a good solution you must first formulate a good question.
Solve problems like this
How does one formulate a good question?
Rephrase the problem
Toyota executive asked his employees to brainstorm “ways to increase their productivity”. He got zero input. He then asked them to brainstorm “ways to make their job easier”. This time he got more suggestions than he could even use.
Words hold a lot of meaning. Even though both the phrases mean the same thing, one elicits a very different response. An easy trick is to use synonyms. You want to ‘increase your audience’. Replace ‘increase’ with ‘extend’, ‘spread’, ‘cover’ or ‘attract’. Notice how the problem changes.
Reword the problem several times, and don’t be too concerned with losing the meaning of the question.
Multiple perspectives
Looking at a situation with different eyes is going to provide instant insight to the problem. Say you want to ‘increase your audience’. Look at the situation from the audience perspective, look at it from your perspective, then try to look at it from an outside perspective (perhaps imagine being someone that neither writes nor reads your blog.)
Now try to imagine how different people might view your situation. How would a college professor see it, or a politician, a mechanic, or a Christian? I don’t know, imagine all the different angles you can.
Reverse the Problem
Take the problem from the heels and hang it upside down. If you are trying to win, look at all the things that will make you lose. If you are trying to ‘increase your audience’ look at all the things that are going to make you ‘lose your audience’.
Once you have some clear cut ways to lose, take those answers and reverse them. Now you have some clear cut ways to win.
This probably may seem like a convoluted way to go about things. But this method usually turns up some obvious answers that may have gone unnoticed otherwise.
Gather Facts
Investigate the problem, do a little research. Look at the circumstance and probe the problem for details, such as its origins or causes. Many times we are faced with problem that is just too vague. A little investigative research can clear that right up.
An example of a vague problem is when your spouse says “you never listen to me”. Now of course that is a hasty generalization. To hone in on the problem you must ask questions like, what does she mean? Eventually, you will find what she means to say is, “you do not look at me enough when I’m talking to you.” This problem is much easier to fix.
