When your energy levels are flagging, you often feel like you need a quick fix to keep going. But it’s time to step away from the lolly jar or vending machine and instead make some easy lifestyle changes that can help to give you more get up and go!
1. Move it
If you’re lacking energy, the last thing you probably feel like doing is working up a sweat. But exercising can actually increase energy levels. That’s because regular physical activity improves stamina. It also triggers the release of feel-good hormones that make you more energetic.
2. Drink plenty of water
Dehydration zaps energy and makes you feel more fatigued than if you have had plenty of fluids. It also leaves you with a “foggy” brain, making concentrating a struggle. Try to drink around eight glasses of water a day.
3. Get a good night’s sleep
This is obvious, yet many people expect to have plenty of energy even if they are skimping on shut-eye. Try to get into a routine of going to bed at the same time every night. Don’t look at a computer or tablet for at least an hour before bed – the blue light they emit can upset your body clock, making it harder to fall asleep.
4. Listen to your body
Working with your natural body clock can give you more energy. If you’re naturally more energetic first thing in the morning, re-arrange your timetable so that this is when you do activities that require the most energy. Similarly, if you are a night owl, schedule demanding activities later in the day. Just make sure you then get seven to nine hours of sleep afterwards.
5. Lose weight
If you are carrying excess kilos, you’re putting added strain on your body that it can do without. If you’re overweight, losing even five percent of body weight can improve mood, vigour and quality of life, according to one US study.
6. Eat more often
This may seem to go against the advice to lose weight, but eating five to six smaller meals throughout the day, instead of three large ones, can keep blood sugar levels more stable and prevent feelings of sluggishness. Make sure those meals are healthy, with lots of vegetables, good-quality protein and wholegrains, and keep portions small.
7. Try yoga
While any kind of exercise is good for you, yoga may be especially valuable when it comes to boosting energy, according to a British study. Volunteers in the trial found that after doing yoga once a week for six weeks, they had increased energy and were more clear-minded. Yoga experts say this is because certain poses stimulate the flow of blood through the body and help shift blocked energy in the spine, combating fatigue and increasing vitality. Good exercises for energy include the camel, triangle and bridge poses.
Get the checkout
If you’re constantly lacking in energy yet you eat a good diet, regularly exercise and get ample sleep, you should see a doctor to rule out major health problems. Fatigue is a common symptom of many illnesses, including:
Diabetes
Heart disease
Anaemia
Thyroid disease
Arthritis
Sleep apnoea
Take a look at this this article on What’s the difference between a migraine and sinus headache? here.
Image: Paul Suesse/ bauersyndication.com.au