5 Ways to Boost Energy
I polled over 100 mom’s and one of the biggest struggles they mentioned was not having enough energy. It comes as no surprise that moms around the world are struggling with a lack of energy and fatigue.
In today’s day and age, stress is at an all-time high. Mom’s everywhere are trying to juggle a career, kids, extracurriculars (of both kids and own), all while having a top-notch Instagram presence.
What causes lack of energy and fatigue?
A big contributor is lifestyle factors:
- Lack of sleep
- Excess caffeine
- Poor Diet
- Eating excessive sugar
- Lack of Exercise
- Stress
- Lack of Vitamin D
- Smoking or Excessive Alcohol Intake
Side note: Some chronic diseases may also cause some energy dips and fatigue but as research has strongly suggested, over 80% of chronic diseases can be ameliorated by changing lifestyle factors. Therefore, the bulk of this post will be addressing lifestyle factors.
I always go for the lowest-hanging fruit that will make a substantial difference. Let’s not waste any time (or energy) and get into the nitty-gritty of boosting your energy.
Exercise
Some of you may be rolling your eyes at the thought of exercise boosting energy. It may seem counterintuitive that something that expends energy would give you energy but friends, don’t knock it until you have tried it.
Exercise boosts energy for several reasons. One of them being a better night’s rest. Sleep is a miracle drug and if we aren’t getting our recommended 7-8 hours of sleep a night, things can look a little hairy. Exercise can help us rest more soundly as long as we aren’t squeezing our workout in right before bed.
Exercise improves the function and efficiency of your heart and lungs and prolongs energy in endurance activities such as a long run.
Exercising also increases brain dopamine (the feel-good drug) which can elevate mood.
Fuel
Eating foods that are absorbed slowly can help avoid the lag in energy that typically occurs after eating a meal with quickly absorbed sugars or refined starches. Foods that are slowly digested are whole grains, vegetables, healthy proteins, nuts, and healthy oils such as olive oil. Highly processed and sugary treats may give you a quick shot of energy but shortly after you will have a crash.
Drink More Water
½ your body weight in ounces (more if you are sweating a lot).
Water is the only nutrient that has been shown to enhance performance for all endurance activities! If your body is short of fluids, one of the first signs is a feeling of fatigue.
Get Outside
Fatigue and low energy is one symptom of low levels of Vitamin D. Vitamin D is thought to help mitochondria-the part of a cell that generates energy.
How do you improve Vitamin D you ask…
Eat these foods:
- Fresh Fish
- Eggs
- Fortified Milk
- Yogurt
Get outside in the sunlight for as little as 10-30 minutes a day.
Quality Sleep
Quality- 7-9 hours of uninterrupted sleep
If you have children under the age of 5 (or 25) you may be laughing at this idea of getting 7-9 hours of uninterrupted sleep. However, sleep is the most under-rated lifestyle factor. There are so many benefits of sleep with special energy-giving powers being one of them!
To check out all the benefits of sleep, check out my blog post on sleep here.
Friend, if you are having a hard time finding more energy to do x, y, or z…try changing one of these lifestyle factors to see how you feel!
-Taryn
