All you need to do is take an empty toilet paper tube and cut a little opening where you can put your smartphone speaker-side down. It will serve as a mini speaker by amplifying the sound. If you want the sound to be even louder and clearer, you can take two plastic cups and cut openings on each side. Then, slide one on each side of the tube so that the top of the cup is facing out. Your DIY speaker is ready!

You can also try simply using a bowl. Just find a ceramic bowl and place your smartphone inside speaker-side down whenever you want to listen to music. The sides of the bowl will cause the sound waves to bounce around and, again, amplify the volume!

Take a glass that’s big enough and put the smartphone speaker side down. The walls will amplify the sound, and everyone will be able to hear it. Choose a sturdy glass that will take your phone’s weight and won’t fall over and crack it.

If you love Pringles, you will have a chip canister in your pantry. This hack works pretty much like the first one – just cut the hole in the middle and place your smartphone inside. Of course, make sure to eat the chips first.

Some of you may have already thought about this hack, and it’s very useful. Just position your phone upside down so the speaker is facing the ceiling. Make sure to place it securely so it doesn’t fall off the surface and crack, though.

Lastly, ensure your phone speaker is properly cleaned. Any small dirt particles might be blocking the sound, but luckily, they are easy to remove with a soft-bristled brush. If there’s water in the speakers, this is also definitely affecting the volume. But here’s something cool: YouTube has videos with tones that can eliminate the excess water.

Slowing down to speed up may seem like the most counterintuitive way to improve your running. Research, however, suggests exactly that — going slower can actually make you faster. So, here’s how to apply the 80/20 approach to help you run faster and become a better runner altogether.

Run Slower, Get Faster: The 80/20 Approach Explained

Discovered by exercise physiologist Stephen Seiler from the University of Agder in Norway, the 80/20 approach stipulates that you spend 80% of your workout below race pace, and the remaining fifth of the time, you go at higher intensities. Seiler and other experts delved deep into researching the benefits of applying this method and the results are astounding.

Seiler and his team looked at various athletes’ workouts, ranging from marathoners and sprinters to rowers and speed skaters. They noticed that when they started to apply the 80/20 method, they saw significant improvement in how fast they could run and how resilient they were overall.

Backed by Research

In 2013, the University of Stirling in Scotland decided to put the 80/20 approach to the test. The university had male recreational cyclists follow the approach and then switch to 57% low-intensity workouts and 43% middle-intensity workouts. The results were conclusive. The gains in speed and power that the cyclists experienced after following the 80/20 approach were much greater than the 57/43 one. In fact, it was twice as high!

Another study, published in the Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance compared runners logging about 30 to 43 miles per week. Half of them followed the 80/20 method and the others spent the majority of their workouts at middle-to-high intensity. The results? The first group of runners was able to improve their 10K times by an average of 41 seconds!

Dialing Back on Speed Is Harder Than it Seems

Adapting your run to a slower pace sounds easier than it is, mostly because people usually struggle to judge the actual intensity of their workouts. For optimal results, experts say that there should be a clear distinction in the intensity of your workouts. In order for high and low-intensity workouts to work and for you to experience the benefits, you need to have a clear delineation.

By following the 80/20 approach, you’ll reap the rewards of high-intensity workouts, e.g. build a stronger heart, recruit fast-twitch muscle fibers, and boost blood vessel elasticity. You’ll also be enjoying the benefits of low-intensity workouts, e.g.develop slow-twitch muscles, growing mitochondria, and burning fat efficiently while fending off soreness and fatigue. Give this approach a try and see how you improve with each run!