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“If You Have A Leg Cramp, Pull Back Your Big Toe”: 40 Human Body Cheat Codes That You Might Not Have Known You Needed
Interview
Considering the fact that we have to exist in the same vessels for our entire lives, it's interesting how little most of us actually know about the human body. Why am I always getting hiccups, and how the heck do I eliminate them? Why does my leg fall asleep every time I lay on my side? Even if you hit the gym every day and are in excellent shape, you can likely still benefit from learning more about that complex body you’re in.
So below, we’ve gathered some of the most useful “human body cheat codes” Redditors have shared to help you pandas get the most out of that mysterious body of yours. Keep reading to also find an interview with the curious Redditor who started this conversation, and be sure to upvote the hacks you plan to utilize in your own life!
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
I have fairly low blood pressure and I often get dizzy if I get up too abruptly. If it happens, clench your abdominal muscles to force blood back upwards and it goes away immediately.
To learn more about what inspired this fascinating thread to start in the first place, we reached out to Alex Clark, the Redditor who posed the question, "What's the best human body cheat code you know?" And he was kind enough to have a chat with us.
"I started this conversation after following AskReddit for a short while," Alex told Bored Panda. "I wanted to test different ways of sparking a conversation and luckily for me, there were others who were keen to answer my question!"
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#2
If you don't have your glasses and need to read or see something far away, make an "OK" sign with your hand but with the hole made with your thumb and forefinger as small as possible. If you look through the tiny hole, you'll be able to see much clearer.
#3
Stretch every day.
90% of the problems that people get later in life, whether it is muscle related or not, usually stems from muscles being too tight & pulling where/when they should not.
We were also curious about the best "human body cheat codes" Alex knows. "This seems like an obvious one, but drinking water when you wake up is a must," he shared. "It’s such a simple ‘hack’, but is an amazing habit to build into your daily routine."
"Another one, which is kind of cheating as it’s my own comment, but when people are together in a group, look at the direction of people's feet to see who they are interested in talking to," Alex added. "It’s not always the case, but it’s a good way of reading body language."
#4
Sick with clogged sinuses?
Put your head between your legs while standing for 10 seconds, and then shoot back to a upright position and blow your nose, you'll be able to breath for a few minutes.
I call it the "Bend and Snot"
#5
Your legs will move as fast as your arms. If you're walking and want to speed up, start swinging your arms just a little faster. Your legs will start moving faster without you telling them to. If you're tired and feel like you can't go faster, try the arm trick and be amazed.
"One of my other favorite hacks is if you have a sneeze that's on the edge but needs that extra push to get it to go, look into a bright light, which is called the Photic Sneeze Reflex," Alex went on to note. "What’s interesting is the trait is genetic, so if you have it - one or both of your parents have it too!"
Finally, we asked Alex if he thinks it's wise for all of us to have some of these hacks up our sleeves. "I think it’s a great idea to learn some cheat codes - we all have the same human body, and it’s incredible that there’s still so much we don’t know about it!" he told Bored Panda.
#6
Take an espresso right before a power nap. The caffeine will kick in about 20 minutes later and make you feel more energised after waking.
#7
If you're hungry, drink some water, you might not actually be hungry.
Human Name 1 year ago
Mmm yes, that's a great way to develop an eating disorder. I know from experience.
#9
Clench your left fist to subdue your gag reflex. Helps me with brushing my tongue and others with other things.
#10
When you wake up, drink some water. It will help reduce drowsiness.
#11
If you enter a room and forget what you have to do, move your eyes sideways, it helps jog your memory.
#12
Water. Drink water and drink a lot of it.
Thirsty? Drink water.
Hungry? Drink water.
Headache? Drink water.
Tired for no good reason? Drink water.
Trying to lose weight over more than a few hours? Drink water.
#13
If you have a leg cramp - pull back your big toe and it will alleviate the cramp
#14
If you have a sneeze that's on the edge but needs that extra push to get it to go, look into a bright light.
Joe Publique 1 year ago
This only works for some people, and it's hereditary. If you can do it, one or both of your parents can do it too. Kind of like 'rolling' your tongue.
#16
Wake up with sunlight whenever possible. Your body automatically says "Oh! Sun! I should wake up now! It's morning!"
Green Tree 1 year ago
Blackout curtains are a must if you have a non-traditional schedule. Sleep like a baby in the dark and then open the minute you wake up, I am so much more rested despite having odd work hours.
#17
Push yourself to do something good for yourself even if you dont want to (something like diet or exercise) and stick to it. Doing it once or twice you wont want to do it again because your body is still adapting. But after a while it will become a habit.
I went on a bike ride every day during my summer break and when winter rolled around I started to realise that I relied on that ride as much as eating. I got really jittery if I didn't ride that day.
#18
Take fiber before bedtime.
I used to get really nervous when traveling and it upset my stomach. Getting "regular" calmed my body immensely.
#19
To quickly stop a nose bleed put something cold at the point where your neck meets your back. Haven't had a nose bleed last more than 5 minutes since learning that.
Sleepy children love Moon 1 year ago
I've only had a nosebleed once in my life, and it was at school during choir. I almost didn't get permission to go to the bathroom, until I started bleeding all over the floor. It was very embarrassing and messy
#20
Make a habit of always doing some exercise while you're at something casual. Sorry about my english, but to make an example: You go in through a specific door or hallway, and then you just start doing random jumper jacks in a specific amount. After some time, your brain will turn that into a habit, so that it becomes routine, and it'll keep you exercised.
Thee8thsense 1 year ago
I trained myself to do push ups every time I play a particular song. It feels a bit Pavlovian, but it works.
#21
If you wake up with your arm asleep because you were laying on it, the fastest way to make it "wake up" is to stick your arm straight up in the air and let the blood drain back down. Then lay your arm flat and allow blood flow to resume normally.
For people that get stuffy noses- pick a nostril you want to have clear. I tend to prefer my right nostril but it works both ways. Pick the side you want clear and lay on your side so that nostril is on top. Prop your head up on your hand so your head is resting at around a 45 degree angle relative to the surface you are laying on. This should clear the nostril on top pretty quickly. If not, try tilting your head at different angles until it does. This doesn't always work, but for me it usually does.
#22
You can increase the rate at which you learn by having shorter study sessions of the same about of time as before that are broken up by doing something that is stress reliving. Like a 20 minute walk in a park or a coffee break after every 1 hour long study session.
Mirabelle Skyrim 1 year ago
Or use the Pomodoro Technique https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/pomodoro-technique
#23
If you're anxious, about the have a panic attack and you feel your heart rate go up splash some ice cold water on your neck, face, and wrists. This will slow your heart rate down a little.
#24
Hiccupping is largely psychosomatic and it can be cured by betting the person hiccupping a fiver he won't hiccup again. Works 80-90% of the time
Heather Resatz 1 year ago
Ahh you must drink water from a cup bent over / upside down. Works every single time
#25
There are two conflicting facts and one thing that most people don't talk about directly that lead to unsuccessful diets:
1) As many people say, calories in < calories out will make you lose weight, however:
2) Most people don't feel "full" (aka: lose the food-craving of hunger) because they've eaten enough calories, but because they've eaten enough volume to fill their stomachs (there's a bit more to it, but this is basically true).
Some really simple things help to fix this:
1) Eat beans and lentils as a main portion of your diet. They are really filling, really high-protein, and have other good things in them. They are also relatively low-calorie; I've eaten so many beans over a week, and still lost weight.
2) Eat slowly and talk during your meal, as in, between bites of food; it takes some time for food to hit your stomach, and everyone knows that feeling of "I shouldn't have had that much" from time to time. Give your stomach some time to send the "I'm not hungry anymore, please stop sending in food, kthx" signal to the brain.
3) Forget everything you've ever been told about "clearing your plate". No matter what you do, the extra half a meal on your plate is never going to be able to get to the starving kids around the world. Donate to some charities if that's a thing that you actually want to help solve, but shoving down food that you aren't hungry for is just going to contribute to weight gain. If there's enough left for another potential meal when you're hungry, just wrap it up and save it for leftovers. If there isn't, just trash it.
4) If you're over 30, try eating foods you didn't like again. I have a newfound love for raw spinach since I've turned 30, when I hated it as a teen and even into my 20s. Your taste buds change as you age, and you might enjoy healthy foods more than you think.
5) Cut out sodas. This gets said a lot, but it's true. If your lunch is a turkey club sandwich, a 20 oz bottle of soda is adding 33-50% more calories to that meal. They are a relative *ton* of calories that don't make you feel more full or quench your thirst at all.
Lyone Fein 1 year ago
About #1, um, neither beans nor lentils are a complete protein. You need to eat whole grains with your legumes in order to get all the amino acids.
#26
When people are together in a group, look at the direction of people's feet to see who they are interested in talking to.
Joe Publique 1 year ago
This is a good example of how a little information can sometimes be worse than no information at all. Body language must be read in 'context and clusters' to provide any useful information. The simple act of pointing one's feet in a particular direction means nothing on its own. :)
#27
If you get a brain freeze push your tongue or thumb against the roof of your mouth to get rid of it.
#28
When you are very tired and you feel you could sleep for 10 hours, taking a short nap ( like 20 minutes) might actually help, instead of sleeping for longer. You feel energized enough to keep going if you have something important and immediate to do.
#29
Resetting your sleep schedule -- just fast for a few hours before the time you want to go to sleep. You'll wake up hungry as if it's morning.
Ed Brandon 1 year ago
No, YOU might be able to do that, but it won't work for everybody / most people. I know I wake up in the night if I'm hungry, for example, and then ruin my night's sleep. Sleep is the area where everyone likes to dispense all the advice, but it's the least transferable, most individual thing.
#30
Strength training makes you stronger, look better and significantly decreases your risk of certain diseases like heart disease and diabetes
Downunderdude 1 year ago
These are really a bit dumb. 'Continuing to breathe will stop you from dying' 'Don't jump off tall buildings - while the fall itself won't hurt you, hitting the ground can be really bad for you' 'If you cut yourself really badly, you need to stop the bleeding. Losing all your blood is bad for your health'. I could go on but I'm bored now.
#31
Stolen from Joe rogan podcast, but hanging can alleviate all sorts of upper body aches. As in grab something and hang like your doing monkey bars. I used to always have a slight ache and pain in my left shoulder after any lifting, that day and the days following. Started to hang for 15 second intervals 5 or 6 times post workout and the days after and boom the aches disappeared.
#32
To beat a hangover - before you goto bed and are still drunk, drink as much water, a B12 Vitamen, and Strawberries.
Array Index Out of Bounds 1 year ago
No, no, no...The best way to cure a hangover is a beer. The "hair of the dog that bit you".
#33
Don't use foundations. Use bb and cc creams with high levels of spf and your skin will always look better with and without makeup.
#34
Having a good sleep schedule (9-5 or 10-6), and going to sleep when you are tired (you have to make yourself tired throughout the day, preferably with a bit of exercise) makes waking up really easy and your mornings will be full of energy
#35
Eating veggies and fruits, and getting a good night's sleep will give you more energy than you get from caffeine, everyday.
Also, caffeine gives you a boost but if you use it everyday it just gets you back to "normal", so save the coffee for days you really need a boost.
#36
Drink more water. Always.
If you feel at all off, emotionally, drink a large glass of water, whether you're anxious, angry, or sad. That doesn't always fix it, but sometimes it does, and if it didn't, at least you're a little more hydrated.
When you wake up in the morning, drink a large glass of water before anything else. You will feel more awake, and you may avoid morning constipation.
BetterBitterButter 1 year ago
But then I pee alot and it's okay if I am at home but peeing at small intervals when i am outside is not feasible.
#37
Cold showers are a complete body hack
Courtney Christelle 1 year ago
Cold showers are completely uncomfortable. I shower to relax, not shiver my a** off.
#38
Basically the Keto diet feels like a cheat code to losing weight while eating good food and never feeling hungry.
There's some sort of anti-cheat measures in the "Keto flu" for the first few days and relatives always shoving cake and ice cream in your face, though.
#39
If you work out and maintain a healthy diet, your body will look and feel amazing.
#40
I used to take about 3 Ibuprophen when having a panic attack that lasted more than a couple minutes (they were seriously severe, sometimes lasting hours, and often wound me up in the ER). Ibuprophen relaxes your muscles within about 15 minutes, and once your muscles start to relax, your mind can kind of start to calm down a bit, and you can then gain control. Just be careful to not take more than 4 at the most, or you can cause problems with your liver.
Also, a good way to stop being dizzy, or to cure a mild headache-- shut your eyes very tightly, then open them really wide while looking down to your left. Don't move your whole head, JUST your eyes. Shut them again very tightly, then open again very wide, while looking down to your right. Repeat this again, while looking up to your left. Then again, looking up to your right. Then do this again, while looking up like you're trying to see your eyebrows. Again, it's important to keep your head still, and only do this while moving just your eyes. Helps me almost every time.
Kayla S 1 year ago
Nurse here. There are so many incorrect things in this post. First, ibuprofen helps with inflammation. It is not a muscle relaxer. Second, you can safely take 4 tabs (to equal 800mg). You should always eat something when taking ibuprofen. Taking it on an empty stomach can lead to ulcers and GI bleeds. Third, ibuprofen affects your kidneys, not your liver. That’s Tylenol. 🙄
What do you think ?
Ace 1 year ago
Shouldn't a list compiler weed out all the repeated (and obvious) ones, like "drink more water"?
Old Roadie 1 year ago
It's BP... they only cull 60% of long posts with no regard to post interest or activity.
Load More Replies...
Charles Bryant 1 year ago
I guess Adelaide Ross must’ve been up against a deadline and had to compile SOMETHING for this week’s check - even if that something seems like a big pile of bovine-produced garden compost.
Old Roadie 1 year ago
Ooooh you civilized that descriptor very nicely. ✌️😂
Load More Replies... Weasel Wise 1 year ago
Good job, Everyone! Lots of solid, disinformation posted today, lots of people ready to do something dumb based on stupid shït posted here. 👍🏾
Lonely Tentacle 1 year ago
Sleeping hack #2: It sounds too basic and boring, but if it's an option, start going to sleep at the same time every night. Do it as much as you can and do it for a while, like maybe a month or two (it's okay to have a late night here and there if necessary, but if it isn't, just go to sleep), and be sure it's the same time every night. Set an alarm if it helps. After your body is used to it, you will feel sleepy at that time, like clockwork, your sleep quality will improve dramatically, and you will wake up refreshed. Best sleep of my life!
Human on a stick 1 year ago
if you need to pop your tailbone for whatever reason, lay on your bed or a couch on your side, and then bring your knees in. After that, try and move one leg up while moving the other down. It's hard to explain without a diagram but it's really simple once you figure it out.
Human on a stick 1 year ago
Also, for colouring large areas/shading with a normal wooden pencil, use the side of the lead and not just the very tip. This does not work for mechanical pencils as far as I know.
Load More Replies...
Monica Michelle 1 year ago
If you dislocate try soft tissue release of softening spasms of muscles around and guide the joint back in. Ifyou have pots goget nuun and coconut water both daily
Bluetoyou 1 year ago
This should come with a disclaimer that it is people's opinions or behaviors that work for them. I think pros would disagree with some of these. Like the guy says if you ride a bike every day then stop he got the gitters from not going. Your body does get used to exercise. If it is something that requires energy it gets used to needing energy at that time of day for that reason. I used to run several miles a day. When I stopped I would have excess energy at the time I usually ran. That is my opinion and something that happened to me personally. However a professional might point out one of the signs of diabetes is gitters when you are waking up in the morning or other times during the day. Has to do with your blood sugar levels.
Octavia Hansen 1 year ago
I suffer from allergies when things are blooming. Many years ago a doctor told me to have a spoonful of local honey every day (gotta be from your area - add to coffee, tea, toast or just eat it) and you will have less sinus problems. There is no cure, but this will help. (If you live in Arkansas, honey from New Jersey will not help. Labels will tell you where it comes from.)
Jordi Sharpe 1 year ago
Here's an important thing to remember about all living beings: our health is dependant on environmental factors, of course, but our personal physiology is not the same as anybody else's. Allergies prove that. Different results for different people on the same diets prove that. Some of us are blessed with incredibly efficient bodies. A lot of us are not. I take every one of these with a grain of salt.
Cynical, Burnt And Jaded 1 year ago
This was not what it was presented as. Lots of sketchy anecdotal or obvious. Be sure to breathe. Every day!
Chris Hills 1 year ago
Just bc you can lift something, doesn't mean you should. I have two new shoulders that proves this to be a fact.
Vermontah 1 year ago
Hyperthyroidism has the weirdest symptoms. Hot all the time, really irritable, hair grows fast, just stuff you can't put together. Mine started with foot cramps. No one ever thinks thyroid and it is the motherboard of your body and mind! When people are sent to a hospital for being "crazy" (Baker Act in FL) one of the first things they do is check your thyroid. Also, fast heartbeats. I could lay on the couch and feel my heart beating fast. Went to the dr. and was better in 3 weeks. So if you feel like yelling at people for no reason - get it checked
Lonely Tentacle 1 year ago
Sleeping hack #1: The average full sleep cycle lasts about 1.5 hour. If you wake up during deep sleep you will probably end up being groggy and tired and it will take longer to wake up. If you wake up between sleep cycles, when sleeping is lighter, you'll wake up much more easily and feeling more refreshed and rested. Adjust your alarm clock every night based on what time you go to sleep and taking sleep cycles into account. E.g. it's much better to sleep 4.5 hours (3 x 1.5 hour) than 5, and even though it's less sleep, you'll wake up much more easily. I've noticed that without an alarm clock I usually sleep 6 or 7.5 hours. Since I started counting how many sleep cycles (and not hours) I can sleep before having to wake up to set my alarm, waking up is a breeze, it has worked wonders!
Ace 1 year ago
Shouldn't a list compiler weed out all the repeated (and obvious) ones, like "drink more water"?
Old Roadie 1 year ago
It's BP... they only cull 60% of long posts with no regard to post interest or activity.
Load More Replies... Charles Bryant 1 year ago
I guess Adelaide Ross must’ve been up against a deadline and had to compile SOMETHING for this week’s check - even if that something seems like a big pile of bovine-produced garden compost.
Old Roadie 1 year ago
Ooooh you civilized that descriptor very nicely. ✌️😂
Load More Replies... Weasel Wise 1 year ago
Good job, Everyone! Lots of solid, disinformation posted today, lots of people ready to do something dumb based on stupid shït posted here. 👍🏾
Lonely Tentacle 1 year ago
Sleeping hack #2: It sounds too basic and boring, but if it's an option, start going to sleep at the same time every night. Do it as much as you can and do it for a while, like maybe a month or two (it's okay to have a late night here and there if necessary, but if it isn't, just go to sleep), and be sure it's the same time every night. Set an alarm if it helps. After your body is used to it, you will feel sleepy at that time, like clockwork, your sleep quality will improve dramatically, and you will wake up refreshed. Best sleep of my life!
Human on a stick 1 year ago
if you need to pop your tailbone for whatever reason, lay on your bed or a couch on your side, and then bring your knees in. After that, try and move one leg up while moving the other down. It's hard to explain without a diagram but it's really simple once you figure it out.
Human on a stick 1 year ago
Also, for colouring large areas/shading with a normal wooden pencil, use the side of the lead and not just the very tip. This does not work for mechanical pencils as far as I know.
Load More Replies... Monica Michelle 1 year ago
If you dislocate try soft tissue release of softening spasms of muscles around and guide the joint back in. Ifyou have pots goget nuun and coconut water both daily
Bluetoyou 1 year ago
This should come with a disclaimer that it is people's opinions or behaviors that work for them. I think pros would disagree with some of these. Like the guy says if you ride a bike every day then stop he got the gitters from not going. Your body does get used to exercise. If it is something that requires energy it gets used to needing energy at that time of day for that reason. I used to run several miles a day. When I stopped I would have excess energy at the time I usually ran. That is my opinion and something that happened to me personally. However a professional might point out one of the signs of diabetes is gitters when you are waking up in the morning or other times during the day. Has to do with your blood sugar levels.
Octavia Hansen 1 year ago
I suffer from allergies when things are blooming. Many years ago a doctor told me to have a spoonful of local honey every day (gotta be from your area - add to coffee, tea, toast or just eat it) and you will have less sinus problems. There is no cure, but this will help. (If you live in Arkansas, honey from New Jersey will not help. Labels will tell you where it comes from.)
Jordi Sharpe 1 year ago
Here's an important thing to remember about all living beings: our health is dependant on environmental factors, of course, but our personal physiology is not the same as anybody else's. Allergies prove that. Different results for different people on the same diets prove that. Some of us are blessed with incredibly efficient bodies. A lot of us are not. I take every one of these with a grain of salt.
Cynical, Burnt And Jaded 1 year ago
This was not what it was presented as. Lots of sketchy anecdotal or obvious. Be sure to breathe. Every day!
Chris Hills 1 year ago
Just bc you can lift something, doesn't mean you should. I have two new shoulders that proves this to be a fact.
Vermontah 1 year ago
Hyperthyroidism has the weirdest symptoms. Hot all the time, really irritable, hair grows fast, just stuff you can't put together. Mine started with foot cramps. No one ever thinks thyroid and it is the motherboard of your body and mind! When people are sent to a hospital for being "crazy" (Baker Act in FL) one of the first things they do is check your thyroid. Also, fast heartbeats. I could lay on the couch and feel my heart beating fast. Went to the dr. and was better in 3 weeks. So if you feel like yelling at people for no reason - get it checked
Lonely Tentacle 1 year ago
Sleeping hack #1: The average full sleep cycle lasts about 1.5 hour. If you wake up during deep sleep you will probably end up being groggy and tired and it will take longer to wake up. If you wake up between sleep cycles, when sleeping is lighter, you'll wake up much more easily and feeling more refreshed and rested. Adjust your alarm clock every night based on what time you go to sleep and taking sleep cycles into account. E.g. it's much better to sleep 4.5 hours (3 x 1.5 hour) than 5, and even though it's less sleep, you'll wake up much more easily. I've noticed that without an alarm clock I usually sleep 6 or 7.5 hours. Since I started counting how many sleep cycles (and not hours) I can sleep before having to wake up to set my alarm, waking up is a breeze, it has worked wonders!
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