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Movement Will Increase Energy
If you have felt tired lately it could be that you aren’t moving around enough. As strange as that sounds, movement increases your blood flow to your muscles, and organs including your brain. They get more oxygen and that is a sure way to increase energy in the moment.
Here is a discussion with Jessica Matthews from the American Council on Exercise about how this works.
Work it out
You may have heard this improbable advice before: Getting more exercise can help you feel more energetic. “Many people think, ‘If I’m feeling so fatigued, how am I going to bring myself to exercise?’” says Jessica Matthews, MS, an exercise scientist the American Council on Exercise.
Yet the research (on real people, not mice) shows this to be true. Part of the reason for this effect comes from what happens when you exercise: your heart pumps more oxygen and nutrients into your bloodstream, your lungs and cardiovascular system work better and you feel more energetic.
What’s more, the type of physical activity that works best for alleviating fatigue “is not that intense exercise that people feel they have to do,” Matthews says. The notion that exercise has to be grueling in order to work keeps many exhausted women from lacing up their sneaks.
In reality, “the research found it’s more beneficial [for restoring energy] to perform exercise at a leisurely pace,” she adds. Doing just a little, at a low intensity level (such as walking or riding a bike at an easy pace) can help you feel less tired and more energized and can be the beginning of a positive relationship with exercise.
Getting results also takes less time than you probably have imagined. For people with low energy, Matthews says that exercising in 10-minute bouts is effective. Aim for three sessions in a day, but even one 10-minute effort is good.
“The mental benefits of exercise are the things people will notice right at the start—increased energy and positive mood,” she says. “These are real motivators.”
Other Everyday Ways To Increase Energy
Getting more movement is effective for almost everyone on some level. It doesn’t have to be a tough workout. Even if you can only start with a very short walk to the mailbox, any movement helps. Moving frequently, several times a day and increasing the amount gradually will give you increased strength, encouragement and you will likely see an increase in your energy before you know it.
But exercise is just one everyday way to increase energy. Here are three more daily routines activities that when done with health and energy in mind can be vital in keeping your batteries going!
Eat right.
When you eat a nutritious, well-balance diet your blood sugar levels are steady, which allows your energy level to stay constant throughout the day.
“Don’t skip breakfast and eat lots of whole-plant foods like fruits, veggies, beans and whole grains,” Sbrocco says. “Include healthy snacks, such as fresh fruit, raw nuts/nut butters, seeds, cheese and hummus. Avoid the tempting snacks, such as donuts, candy bars, potato chips and soda, which can leave you feeling zapped.”
Drink up.
Every system in your body depends on water, which makes up 60 percent of your body weight. Mild dehydration can contribute to low energy, so drink plenty of water or green tea daily.
Sleep tight.
Sbrocco recommends six to eight hours of sleep a night and a regular bedtime and wake-up routine, even on weekends. “This allows the body’s internal clock to help you fall asleep and wake up easier,” she says. Other sleeping tips are:
- Create a calming, cozy atmosphere in your bedroom
- Reserve your bed for sleep and intimacy only
- Maintain a regular nighttime ritual
- Keep your bedroom cool at night
- Avoid caffeine or energy drinks in the later afternoon and evening
- Avoid screen time an hour before bedtime
Do you often have low energy?
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