Evidence Based
A simple health hack:
Get outside in the sun every day and move around until you get at least a little sweaty. You might be surprised at how much this can help with your physical and mental well-being.
Also, try to get that sun on your skin soon after you wake up.
This helps regulate your body’s circadian rhythm, which impacts various vital physiological processes like your sleep/wake cycle, eating habits, and digestion, and can improve mood and metabolic health.
Make time to meet face-to-face with people you like, too. Texts, DMs, and even video calls are a shabby substitute for real human interaction.
Yet another:
Give yourself at least one day per week of no vigorous physical activity (no intense training, sports, etc.). This will improve your recovery more than just about anything else you could do.
One more:
Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day as often as you can (including the weekends). This too helps normalize your body’s circadian rhythm so you can consistently get enough high-quality sleep, which is a prerequisite for high-quality living.
Okay—a few more, quicklike:
- When you’re sick or on the brink, skip your workout and take a nap instead. This alone can make the difference between a rapid recovery and prolonged illness.
- Listen to classical music. Studies show that it can relax your mind and body, reduce feelings of stress, and improve cognition and sleep. For what it’s worth, my go-tos are Beethoven’s symphonies, Debussy’s piano solos, Bach’s sonatas and concertos, and for more modern work, anything by Ludovico Einaudi, Max Richter, or Jeremy Soule.
- Go to bed earlier rather than later. Research shows this can reduce the risk of heart and metabolic disease, depression and other psychiatric disorders, cognitive decline, and obesity.
- Stop eating after dinner. Studies show that night eating increases the risk of overeating, including binge eating and emotional eating.
- Try to go to bed around the same time every night, including the weekends. Research suggests this can improve food choices and reduce hunger, cravings, and calorie intake.
And finally:
Eat a big salad every day.
This will give you at least a few servings of vegetables (including leafy greens), and calorie-for-calorie, it’s about as filling as you can get (especially if you add some protein and fibrous extras like chickpeas, lentils, or black beans).
Scientific References +
- Figueiro, Mariana G., et al. “The Impact of Daytime Light Exposures on Sleep and Mood in Office Workers.” Sleep Health, vol. 3, no. 3, June 2017, pp. 204–215, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sleh.2017.03.005.
- Mead, Nathaniel. “Benefits of Sunlight: A Bright Spot for Human Health.” Environmental Health Perspectives, vol. 116, no. 4, Apr. 2008, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2290997/, https://doi.org/10.1289/ehp.116-a160.
- Farhud, Dariush, and Zahra Aryan. “Circadian Rhythm, Lifestyle and Health: A Narrative Review.” Iranian Journal of Public Health, vol. 47, no. 8, 1 Aug. 2018, pp. 1068–1076, pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30186777/.
- Hayes, Jacqueline F., et al. “Sleep Patterns and Quality Are Associated with Severity of Obesity and Weight-Related Behaviors in Adolescents with Overweight and Obesity.” Childhood Obesity, vol. 14, no. 1, Jan. 2018, pp. 11–17, https://doi.org/10.1089/chi.2017.0148. Accessed 6 June 2019.
- Patel, S R, et al. “The Association between Sleep Patterns and Obesity in Older Adults.” International Journal of Obesity, vol. 38, no. 9, 24 Jan. 2014, pp. 1159–1164, https://doi.org/10.1038/ijo.2014.13. Accessed 8 Apr. 2020.
- Darki, Cyrus, et al. “The Effect of Classical Music on Heart Rate, Blood Pressure, and Mood.” Cureus, vol. 14, no. 7, 27 July 2022, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9417331/, https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.27348.
- Jenkins, J S. “The Mozart Effect.” Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, vol. 94, no. 4, Apr. 2001, pp. 170–172, journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/014107680109400404, https://doi.org/10.1177/014107680109400404.
- Jensen, K. L. “The Effects of Selected Classical Music on Self-Disclosure.” Journal of Music Therapy, vol. 38, no. 1, 1 Mar. 2001, pp. 2–27, https://doi.org/10.1093/jmt/38.1.2. Accessed 15 Aug. 2019.
- Chafin, Sky, et al. “Music Can Facilitate Blood Pressure Recovery from Stress.” British Journal of Health Psychology, vol. 9, no. 3, Sept. 2004, pp. 393–403, onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1348/1359107041557020, https://doi.org/10.1348/1359107041557020.
- Siedliecki, Sandra L, and Marion Good. “Effect of Music on Power, Pain, Depression and Disability.” Journal of Advanced Nursing, vol. 54, no. 5, 2006, pp. 553–62, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16722953, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2648.2006.03860.x.
- Hanser, S. B., and L. W. Thompson. “Effects of a Music Therapy Strategy on Depressed Older Adults.” Journal of Gerontology, vol. 49, no. 6, 1 Nov. 1994, pp. P265–P269, https://doi.org/10.1093/geronj/49.6.p265.
- Scheufele, Peter M. “Effects of Progressive Relaxation and Classical Music on Measurements of Attention, Relaxation, and Stress Responses.” Journal of Behavioral Medicine, vol. 23, no. 2, 2000, pp. 207–228, https://doi.org/10.1023/a:1005542121935.
- Chaput, Jean-Philippe, et al. “Sleep Timing, Sleep Consistency, and Health in Adults: A Systematic Review.” Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism, vol. 45, no. 10 (Suppl. 2), Oct. 2020, pp. S232–S247, cdnsciencepub.com/doi/full/10.1139/apnm-2020-0032, https://doi.org/10.1139/apnm-2020-0032.
- Knutson, Kristen L., and Malcolm von Schantz. “Associations between Chronotype, Morbidity and Mortality in the UK Biobank Cohort.” Chronobiology International, vol. 35, no. 8, 11 Apr. 2018, pp. 1–9, https://doi.org/10.1080/07420528.2018.1454458.
- Teixeira, Gabriela P, et al. “Role of Chronotype in Dietary Intake, Meal Timing, and Obesity: A Systematic Review.” Nutrition Reviews, vol. 81, no. 1, 30 June 2022, pp. 75–90, academic.oup.com/nutritionreviews/article/81/1/75/6623541?login=true, https://doi.org/10.1093/nutrit/nuac044. Accessed 14 Mar. 2023.
- Zou, Haowen, et al. “Chronotype, Circadian Rhythm, and Psychiatric Disorders: Recent Evidence and Potential Mechanisms.” Frontiers in Neuroscience, vol. 16, no. 811771, 10 Aug. 2022, https://doi.org/10.3389/fnins.2022.811771.
- Kinsey, Amber, and Michael Ormsbee. “The Health Impact of Nighttime Eating: Old and New Perspectives.” Nutrients, vol. 7, no. 4, 9 Apr. 2015, pp. 2648–2662, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4425165/, https://doi.org/10.3390/nu7042648.
- Kaur, Jasmine, et al. “Night Eating Syndrome in Patients with Obesity and Binge Eating Disorder: A Systematic Review.” Frontiers in Psychology, vol. 12, 5 Jan. 2022, https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.766827.
- Rusu, Adriana, et al. “Variability in Sleep Timing and Dietary Intake: A Scoping Review of the Literature.” Nutrients, vol. 14, no. 24, 9 Dec. 2022, p. 5248, https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14245248. Accessed 16 Feb. 2023.
You May Also Like
You don’t need supplements to build muscle, lose fat, and get healthy. But the right ones can help.
Take our 60-second quiz now to learn which supplements can help you achieve your fitness goals faster.
Sending…
Your free stuff is on the way!
Follow the Diet Plan that Helped Nikita Lose 15 Pounds in 3 Months
“I never thought getting in shape would be this simple! Everything just WORKS when you follow this plan.” And if he can do it, why not you?
Wait!
Want a Free Custom Meal Planning Tool?
Quickly calculate your calories, macros, and micros for losing fat, building muscle, and staying healthy.
Our “No Return Necessary”
Money-Back Guarantee
If you don’t like something of ours, guess what happens next?
No, we don’t request you deliver it to a PO box in the Gobi Desert by carrier pigeon. Nor do we ask you to fill a cursed inkwell with orc’s blood and demon saliva and then use it to complete reams of return forms written in ancient Cyrillic script.
We just . . . wait for it . . . give you your money back. Holy moo cows. And that means you can say “yes” now and decide later.
Free Worldwide Shipping & Returns
Many companies use shipping and handling fees to increase their profit margins, but here at Legion, we hate profits, so our shipping is free!
Okay, so we do dig on profits, but we also go in for happy customers, and free shipping works like gangbusters. So, if you live in the United States, your order ships free regardless of order size, if you live in the UK, Canada, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Netherlands, Spain, Puerto Rico, or Guam, your order ships free when it’s over $199, and if you live elsewhere, your order ships free when it’s over $299.
Also, if you don’t absolutely love our stuff for whatever reason, we don’t request you deliver it to a PO box in the Gobi Desert by carrier pigeon.
We just . . . wait for it . . . give you your money back. No returns. No forms. No nonsense. Holy moo cows.
That means you can say “yes” now and decide later. You really have nothing to lose.
Free Worldwide Shipping & Returns
Many companies use shipping and handling fees to increase their profit margins, but here at Legion, we hate profits, so our shipping is free!
Okay, so we do dig on profits, but we also go in for happy customers, and free shipping works like gangbusters. So, if you live in the UK, Canada, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Netherlands, Spain, Puerto Rico, or Guam, your order ships free when it’s over $199.
Why the restriction on international orders? Unfortunately, shipping abroad is very expensive, and if we didn’t require a minimum order size, we’d lose a lot of money. But! We’re also hustling to improve our international logistics and will be passing our savings along to our international customers.
Also, if you don’t absolutely love our stuff for whatever reason, we don’t request you deliver it to a PO box in the Gobi Desert by carrier pigeon.
We just . . . wait for it . . . give you your money back. No returns. No forms. No nonsense. Holy moo cows.
That means you can say “yes” now and decide later. You really have nothing to lose.
Free Worldwide Shipping & Returns
Many companies use shipping and handling fees to increase their profit margins, but here at Legion, we hate profits, so our shipping is free!
Okay, so we do dig on profits, but we also go in for happy customers, and free shipping works like gangbusters. So, if you’re outside the USA, your order ships free when it’s over $299.
Why the restriction on international orders? Unfortunately, shipping abroad is very expensive, and if we didn’t require a minimum order size, we’d lose a lot of money. But! We’re also hustling to improve our international logistics and will be passing our savings along to our international customers.
Also, if you don’t absolutely love our stuff for whatever reason, we don’t request you deliver it to a PO box in the Gobi Desert by carrier pigeon.
We just . . . wait for it . . . give you your money back. No returns. No forms. No nonsense. Holy moo cows.
That means you can say “yes” now and decide later. You really have nothing to lose.
Split your entire online purchase into 4 interest-free payments, over 6 weeks with no impact to your credit.
25%
today
25%
2 weeks
25%
4 weeks
25%
6 weeks
Shop and add items to your cart as normal!
Choose Sezzle at Checkout! You’ll be redirected to Sezzle to Sign Up or Log In
to complete your order.
Your order will be shipped out right away* and your payments will be split up
over 6 weeks.
*shipping times subject to merchant shipping policy
Shop directory. Reschedule payments. Plus more!
Waiver and Release of Liability
In consideration of the services and/or products offered by Legion Athletics, Inc. (“Legion”) including, but not limited to, nutrition plans, exercise routines and coaching, and in addition to the payment of any fee or charge:
I knowingly and voluntarily enter into this waiver and release of liability and hereby waive any and all rights, claims or causes of action of any kind whatsoever arising out of my use of Legion’s services and/or products, and I hereby release and hold harmless Legion and its consultants, officers, contractors, agents, owners and employees from any and all responsibility, liability, cost and expenses, including for injuries, damages or disorders (physical, metabolic, or otherwise), resulting from my use of Legion’s services and/or products.
I understand that fitness activities including, but not limited to, strength, flexibility, and cardiovascular exercise, with or without the use of equipment, are potentially hazardous activities that involve a risk of injury and even death, and I am voluntarily participating in these activities and using equipment and machinery with knowledge of the risks involved. I hereby agree to assume and accept any and all risks of injury or death related to said fitness activities.
I understand Legion’s services and products are not meant to treat or manage any health conditions or circumstances, and I acknowledge that Legion has recommended I obtain a healthcare provider’s approval for my use of Legion’s services and/or products, through regular physical examination(s) and/or consultation. I acknowledge that I have obtained my healthcare provider’s approval or have decided to use Legion’s services and/or products without such approval and hereby assume all responsibility for my use of said services and/or products.
I understand that results from using Legion’s products and/or services are not guaranteed, and I agree to not hold Legion liable for any outcomes or lack thereof.
OUT OF STOCK
Security Check
Please click the checkbox below. We apologize for the inconvenience.
Fact Checked
Our scientific review board of nutritionists, dietitians, molecular biologists, doctors, and other accredited experts is responsible for reviewing every article, podcast, and video we produce to ensure they’re evidence based, accurate, trustworthy, and current.
Thanks to their connections, credentials, and academic experience, this team of MDs, PhDs, and other professionals has access to a wealth of research published in the largest and most prestigious journals in the world.
This allows them to not only review individual studies but also analyze the overall weight of the evidence on any and all topics related to diet, exercise, supplementation, and more.
If you feel that any of our content is inaccurate, misleading, out-of-date, or anything less than factual, please let us know in the comments section of the article in question.
Evidence Based
We follow a detailed, rigorous, multi-step process to create content that meets the highest standards of clarity, practicality, and scientific integrity.
First, our research associates provide our editorial team with accurate, up-to-date, proven scientific evidence.
Then, our editorial team uses this research to draft articles and outlines for podcasts and videos.
Finally, our scientific review board reviews the content to ensure all key information and claims are backed by high-quality scientific research and explained simply and precisely.
If you feel that any of our content is inaccurate, misleading, out-of-date, or anything less than factual, please let us know in the comments section of the article in question.
