Boost energy instantly
10 Ways to Boost Your Energy in 10 Minutes
Written by WebMD Editorial Contributors
Are your eyelids sagging as the afternoon wears on? When low energy drags you down, don't look to a candy bar, cup of coffee, or energy drink for a lift. The sugar and caffeine might give you an immediate pick-me-up, but after that quick high wears off, you'll crash and feel even more drained
What you need: a lasting solution to keep sluggishness at bay. Here are 10 fatigue fighters that can leave you feeling refreshed and revitalized.
1. Eat your breakfast. People who eat breakfast every morning report less fatigue and stress than people who skip it. High-fiber foods, like hot oatmeal, stick with you longer than a sweet roll or pastry. As the day wears on, they'll prevent you from getting hungry (hunger can lead to low energy).
2. Do a downward dog. Some studies have found that yoga, which uses various postures and deep breathing for exercise and meditation, can be an excellent fatigue fighter.
3. Belt out your favorite tune. Singing gives you a kind of emotional high while it reduces levels of stress hormones in your body. So grab a hairbrush, put on your favorite song, and sing away. If you're at work and don't want to face your co-workers' puzzled stares, you might want to save your vocal stylings for the car.
4. Have a drink of water. Dehydration can leave you feeling drained and fatigued. You don't necessarily have to follow the "eight glasses a day" rule, but you do want to drink enough water to keep your body well hydrated. You can tell you're well hydrated when you don't feel thirsty and your urine is light-colored. Try to get to the fridge or water cooler for a refill every few hours. The walk there will also help you wake up.
5. Go nuts. Eat a handful of almonds or peanuts, which are high in magnesium and folate (folic acid). These nutrients are essential for energy and cell production. A lack of these nutrients in your system can leave you feeling weary.
6. Grab a cinnamon stick. Some people say that just a whiff of this scented spice can reduce fatigue and make them feel more alert. No cinnamon handy? Grab a mint from your bag. Peppermint's sweet aroma is another fatigue fighter for some people. More research is needed to see if and how these aromas actually affect a person's energy level.
7. Get moving. Exercise is a natural energy booster, because whenever you do it, oxygen-rich blood surges through your body to your heart, muscles, and brain. Regularly squeezing a workout into your day -- even if you can spare only 10 minutes at a time -- will help keep your energy levels at their peak. Move around every chance you get, even if it's just to pace in circles while you're on the phone.
8. Let the sunshine in. Research suggests that just a few minutes of walking outside on a warm, clear day may enhance mood, memory, and the ability to absorb new information. Going outside can even improve your self-esteem.
If you absolutely can't get out, at least open the shades.
9. Have a bite. Your brain needs fuel to function at its best. When your blood sugar level drops, your mind will start running on fumes and will feel fuzzy as a result. So if your head is starting to droop, eat a snack that will give you enough energy to take you through the rest of the afternoon. Snacks that combine protein with slow-burning carbs -- like banana slices with peanut butter, or granola with fresh berries -- are best for maintaining your blood sugar levels over the long term.
10. Hang out with upbeat friends. Emotions are surprisingly contagious. People who are constantly negative and down can sap your energy, while those who are always up and excited can give you a real lift.
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9 tips to boost your energy — naturally
Go to the store, and you'll see a multitude of vitamins, herbs, and other supplements touted as energy boosters.
Some are even added to soft drinks and other foods. But there's little or no scientific evidence that energy boosters like ginseng, guarana, and chromium picolinate actually work. Thankfully, there are things you can do to enhance your own natural energy levels. Here are nine tips:
1. Control stress
Stress-induced emotions consume huge amounts of energy. Talking with a friend or relative, joining a support group, or seeing a psychotherapist can all help diffuse stress. Relaxation therapies like meditation, self-hypnosis, yoga, and tai chi are also effective tools for reducing stress.
2. Lighten your load
One of the main reasons for fatigue is overwork. Overwork can include professional, family, and social obligations. Try to streamline your list of "must-do" activities. Set your priorities in terms of the most important tasks. Pare down those that are less important. Consider asking for extra help at work, if necessary.
3.
Exercise
Exercise almost guarantees that you'll sleep more soundly. It also gives your cells more energy to burn and circulates oxygen. And exercising can lead to higher brain dopamine levels, which helps elevate mood. When walking, pick up the pace periodically to get extra health benefits.
4. Avoid smoking
You know smoking threatens your health. But you may not know that smoking actually siphons off your energy by causing insomnia. The nicotine in tobacco is a stimulant, so it speeds the heart rate, raises blood pressure, and stimulates brain-wave activity associated with wakefulness, making it harder to fall asleep. And once you do fall asleep, its addictive power can kick in and awaken you with cravings.
5. Restrict your sleep
If you think you may be sleep-deprived, try getting less sleep. This advice may sound odd but determining how much sleep you actually need can reduce the time you spend in bed not sleeping.
This process makes it easier to fall asleep and promotes more restful sleep in the long run. Here's how to do it:
- Avoid napping during the day.
- The first night, go to bed later than normal and get just four hours of sleep.
- If you feel that you slept well during that four-hour period, add another 15–30 minutes of sleep the next night.
- As long as you're sleeping soundly the entire time you're in bed, slowly keep adding sleep on successive nights.
6. Eat for energy
Eating foods with a low glycemic index — whose sugars are absorbed slowly — may help you avoid the lag in energy that typically occurs after eating quickly absorbed sugars or refined starches. Foods with a low glycemic index include whole grains, high-fiber vegetables, nuts, and healthy oils such as olive oil. In general, high-carbohydrate foods have the highest glycemic indexes. Proteins and fats have glycemic indexes that are close to zero.
7.
Use caffeine to your advantage
Caffeine does help increase alertness, so having a cup of coffee can help sharpen your mind. But to get the energizing effects of caffeine, you have to use it judiciously. It can cause insomnia, especially when consumed in large amounts or after 2 p.m.
8. Limit alcohol
One of the best hedges against the midafternoon slump is to avoid drinking alcohol at lunch. The sedative effect of alcohol is especially strong at midday. Similarly, avoid a five o'clock cocktail if you want to have energy in the evening. If you're going to drink, do so in moderation at a time when you don't mind having your energy wind down.
9. Drink water
What's the only nutrient that has been shown to enhance performance for all but the most demanding endurance activities? It's not some pricey sports drink. It's water. If your body is short of fluids, one of the first signs is a feeling of fatigue.
For more information on the many things you can do to increase your natural energy, order our Special Health Report, Boosting Your Energy.
Image: ©Gilaxia | GettyImages
How to increase the body's energy supply in a natural way and start to lead a more active life?
How can I increase my body's energy supply naturally and lead a more active life?
If you are reluctant to get out of bed in the morning and prefer to spend the weekend at home, then it's time for you to take action to increase your supply of vital energy. Chronic fatigue syndrome is a real scourge of our time. It is not selective and can hit anyone: manual and mental workers, women and men, adults and children, residents of villages and megacities.
But you shouldn't give up and fall tiredly on the sofa, because you can increase vital energy in a natural way. The road will be mastered by the walking one, and you just need to start following 4 simple rules.
1. Eat right
"We are what we eat." Eliminate food that “takes away” energy from the menu: convenience foods, chips, sausages.
Avoid sweets. They consist of simple carbohydrates (sugars) that are quickly digested and lead to a jump in blood glucose: it rises rapidly and falls just as rapidly. As a result, we feel a sharp surge of strength, and after a short time - a sharp decline. And we go for the second portion of junk food, which leads to an increase in the production of insulin in the body and, as a result, diabetes and obesity.
Start eating more energy-dense foods. Useful foods that increase energy include:
- whole grains;
- vegetables and fruits;
- walnuts;
- almonds.
Remember to eat protein, fiber, fats and drink enough plain water. And remember that food should be varied and frequent: 5 to 6 times a day.
2. Move more
"Movement is life." Lead an active lifestyle. If you have a sedentary job, go to the gym. No opportunity? Do a warm-up at home or right in the office.
For example, intensively walk around the room, squat, jump - any, even light physical exercises increase energy and charge with positive.
3. Get enough sleep and rest
Sound, uninterrupted sleep is a prerequisite for increasing energy levels. When a person sleeps, his body is cleansed and restored. During the slow phase of sleep, an immunological memory is formed, without which there can be no talk of full protection against viruses and bacteria.
Attention! Social networks, online movies, computer games and surfing the Internet are the worst enemies of sleep. Try to replace such evening entertainment with reading books, socializing or walking. This will help you relax and tune in to rest.
Learn to relax in any conditions. Good relaxation helps to accumulate free energy. Unfortunately, today life and stress are inseparable. We do almost everything in a state of tension - we work, watch movies, move around and even lie down.
A tense body constantly sends danger signals to the brain, and the body is constantly preparing to switch to emergency preparedness mode, which requires a tremendous expenditure of energy. It is hardly possible to create, invent and feel good in such a state.
The only way out of a stressful state is conscious, regular relaxation.
Tip! Have you noticed that all the muscles are tense for no reason? Calm down, catch your breath and think positive. If it doesn't help, take a break: listen to your favorite music, go for a massage.
4. Avoid multitasking
A catastrophic amount of energy is spent on multitasking when a person performs several things at the same time. Try to avoid such situations. Review the organization of your work activities and start planning your daily routine from the evening in order to distribute tasks in advance and not grab everything at once. In a word, do things in turn and do not proceed to the next one without finishing the previous one.
Disclaimer
Please note that all information posted on the site Prowellness is provided for informational purposes only and is not a personal program, a direct recommendation for action, or medical advice. Do not use these materials for diagnosis, treatment, or any medical procedure. Consult your physician before using any technique or using any product. This site is not a specialized medical portal and does not replace the professional advice of a specialist. The Site Owner is not liable to any party who has suffered indirect or direct damage as a result of misuse of materials posted on this resource.
Expert: Evgenia Bulakh An expert in the field of motherhood, health and proper nutrition
Reviewer: Ekaterina Vorobieva Adept of a healthy and active lifestyle
7 ways to increase energy | PSYCHOLOGIES
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Know YourselfPractices how to
1.
Chew food more thoroughly The way we desire it affects the process of digestion. By chewing each bite, we make it easier for the body to absorb nutrients and convert them into energy. Digestion requires a lot of energy, and if we swallow food, the body will have to spend all its energy reserves on digestion. “How many times to chew a piece? There is no definite answer, usually at least 25-40 times are recommended. This helps to normalize appetite,” says nutritionist Edwina Clark.
2. Drink less coffee
The caffeine in the refreshing drink blocks the brain's receptors for adenosine, a neurotransmitter that makes you feel tired.
"Although caffeine blocks the action of adenosine, the substance itself continues to be produced," says Niket Sonpal, assistant professor at Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine in New York. As soon as the effect of caffeine wears off, all the accumulated adenosine begins to act, so you feel a sharp decline in energy. Here, of course, you want to sip coffee again, but you find yourself in a vicious circle and deprive yourself of energy.
Knowing it's time to stop drinking coffee can be scary
To get out of the trap, try drinking less strong coffee and taking a break before the next cup (and avoid it after the first half of the day so that you don't have trouble sleeping). This way you can reduce your caffeine intake and prevent a sudden drop in energy without suffering from a lack of coffee. “Knowing it’s time to cut your coffee addiction can be scary, but in the long run, it will help you feel more energized,” Sonpal says.
3. Take 250 extra steps
Movement improves blood circulation, so the body can use less energy to maintain life. “By taking 250 extra steps a day, you will accustom yourself, muscles and the body’s energy system to constant movement, and become more resilient,” says sports physiologist Menachem Brody.
As your cardiorespiratory endurance (the amount of exercise you can handle without getting tired) improves, the daily activities will become easier and easier.
Walk around the room while on the phone, walk around the office, use stairs instead of elevators.
4. Practice deep breathing
Cells need oxygen to get energy. If breathing is weak, the body begins to experience weakness. As Sonpal explains, shallow breathing is another of the unpleasant effects of stress. When we don’t breathe often enough and deep enough, we send a signal to the nervous system that further exacerbates anxiety. By accustoming ourselves to the correct rhythm of breathing (you can train while commuting to work and home, standing in line and even sitting in the toilet), we simultaneously reduce stress and energize cells.
Try this exercise: breathe in through your nose to a count of three, and breathe out through your mouth to a count of three. Repeat several times.
The brain is wired to react to unpleasant events like Velcro.
“The more you practice deep breathing, the more natural it will become, and over time you will begin to breathe deeply all the time,” says Connecticut psychologist Dory Gatter.
5. Add Fiber-Rich Foods to Your Diet
“Complex carbohydrates (rich in whole grains, vegetables, legumes, seeds) contain glucose, the main source of energy for the body and brain. Since they have fiber, they take longer to digest and provide energy for a long time, ”says Florida nutritionist Lisa Cooper. Another plus is that they improve sleep, which in turn increases alertness and energy. “A diet rich in fiber increases the length of so-called non-REM sleep, and such sleep helps you feel well rested the next morning,” says Vikas Jain, an Illinois sleep medicine specialist.
6. Make sure you're drinking enough
"When you're dehydrated, your blood pressure drops, your heart rate increases, and your brain's blood flow slows down, leading to feelings of fatigue," Sonpal says. To make life easier for the body, try to always drink water. In the toilet, pay attention to the color of urine - it should be pale, straw-colored, but if it is darker, you obviously need to go to the cooler more often.
7. Write down three joyful events that happened on day
“The brain is so arranged that it reacts to unpleasant events like Velcro, and to pleasant ones like Teflon (to which nothing sticks). It so happened in the course of evolution, for us to survive, it was important to remember what causes pain and discomfort, and the memory of joyful events was not so important, ”says Elizabeth Cohen, a clinical psychologist from New York.
These days, when you constantly worry about trouble and worry about possible future problems, this signals the body to release more stress hormones. Since he is not designed for this, exhaustion appears.
In the evening, remind yourself to think about the good, write down three pleasant events that happened during the day, or list something for which you are grateful. The exercise will help tune your brain so that it pays as much attention to the positive aspects of life as the negative ones, reducing the production of stress hormones and saving strength.
