Month: August 2018

1 Better sex

Watermelon has been described as “nature’s Viagra” thanks to its ability to increase libido and enhance blood flow to you-knowwhere. That’s down to its high concentration of citrulline, an amino acid that relaxes blood vessels.

2 Dodge disease

When you eat watermelon some of the citrulline is converted into another amino acid, arginine, which both improves heart health and helps maintain a stronger immune system, meaning you’ll spend less time on the sidelines.

3 Healthy heart

Drinking watermelon juice can decrease your risk of developing atherosclerosis –a build-up of fat in your arteries that’s a contributor to heart disease – according to an animal study by the University of Kentucky.

4 Recover faster

Necking some of the fruit’s juice after a hard weights session could help reduce the severity of post-workout muscular aches and pains, according to the American Chemical Society. That means you’ll be back under the bar sooner.

Finding the motivation to work up a real sweat, whether that’s going for a morning run or an after-work gym session, can be tough at this time of year when it’s still dark most of the day. The good news is that spring is just around the corner and you can start that season in better shape if you treat yourself to some new workout kit right now. Why? Wearing new exercise clothing can give you the added willpower you need to start moving, and simply putting on your fresh clobber gets you in the right frame of mind for exercise and increases the chances of you training that day, according to research from Northwestern University in the US. So treat yourself to a new top and shorts or leggings – bright colours are good, especially if you’ll be running outside – and put them on first thing Saturday morning to boost your chances of increasing your activity levels.

What’s the biggest obstacle blocking your path to a fitter, healthier and happier life? For many of us, at least some of the time, a shortage of motivation to make small but significant changes to our daily routine keeps us stuck in a vicious circle.

A friend explained his lapsed gym membership to me like this: every morning he wakes up with ten Enthusiasm and Motivation Units (EMUs). He’ll lose one EMU on his commute, a couple more during meetings, one in the queue for lunch and so on every time his patience is tested. He only ever gets to the gym after work if he has at least one EMU left. If not, the only bar he’s going near is his local.

His motivation model makes a lot of sense – we all wish we could instantly summon up extra EMUs when we need them. Like when we know we should go to the gym or for a run (because we always feel amazing afterwards) but going straight home or to the pub requires far less effort. Now, thanks to our guide to maximising your motivation levels with minimal effort (p56), you’ll be able to make the right call every time and build a stronger, leaner and healthier body. So I’ll see you at the bar. You know which one.