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Fitness Buzz
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June 25, 2009
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Top 5 Tips To Get Energized NOW!
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 We've talked excuses before - how to identify them, and how to overcome or at least deal with them. Hopefully by now none of us are singing the "I don't have enough time to exercise" tune since there are so many options for fitting different kind of workouts into our busy schedules. But what about the other most common excuse? "I don't have the energy." How do we bust that one? Reach for a java jolt or a sugary energy drink? Take a cat nap under our desks?
Check out these five doable approaches to overcoming everyday energy zappers. |
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1) Stop The Pain Drain.
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It's no surprise that I try to get some kind of movement into my day, every day of the week; I make it a non-negotiable, and put it on the schedule like I would a meeting or appointment. But there is one thing that can keep a "die-hard" like me from exercising - and that's pain. Nothing drains my energy and motivation for working out like a crick in my neck or some tension in my shoulders. I try to avoid it at all costs, but every once in a while I'll push myself just a little too hard in a grueling workout and find that I've tweaked some tiny area - not enough to make me incapacitated, but certainly enough to make me skip my workout the next day.
The first response most of have to pain is, of course, "Make it stop!" This often leads us straight to the medicine cabinet - eliminating the pain, but also obscuring its cause. My approach to pain is to become a detective: What's triggering it? What happens if I change this or that aspect of my workout? Can I get rid of this headache with a large glass of water? Can I work the soreness out of my joints my stretching them? Sometimes, medication may be the best course after you've listened to the pain and determined the problem. But sometimes pain is just another sensation that helps us maximize our relationship with our body.
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2) Put Stress On Stretching.
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 All good things come in 3's. That's why I always emphasize that the concept of exercise is represented by a triangle: the super-trio of cardio, strength training, and flexibility. And yet flexibility is often treated like the "ugly stepsister" of the family and overlooked or completely neglected. It's true that a long stretching session or yoga class don't burn as many calories as an intense bout of cardio or give you the "pump" of a strength training workout, but the benefits of flexibility go far beyond a tighter tummy.
Flexibility - especially yoga - is key for longevity. It improves balance, digestion, relieves muscle tension, and can actually be both energizing and calming. The fluidity and relaxation it provides can rejuvenate and restore your body so that you can fully recover, whether it's from a tough workout or simply a tough day. So if you've been skipping over this key portion of your fitness triangle, now's the time to start.
My Yoga Sculpt DVD contains three complete workouts designed to strengthen, tone, increasing stamina, flexibility, and greater mobility in the spine, hips, and throughout your entire body, while promoting deep relaxation. |
3) Avoid Overkill.
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If you're not making the progress in your workouts that you once were, you may have simply reached a plateau and need to switch up your routine. But if you've been exercising regularly and are experiencing fatigue and moodiness, you might just be overtraining. Other symptoms of overtraining include loss of appetite, muscle twitching, poor sleep, frequent colds, and an elevated resting pulse rate.
Rest and recovery are just as important as your actual workouts. Your muscles grow and repair themselves after you exercise, so give yourself a day or two off if you've been training hard - or try substituting more rejuvenation exercises like yoga and easy walking, until you're feeling energetic enough to resume your normal schedule. Try my Walking MP3 Audio Downloads, there's many to choose from and no need to wait for shipping you can get started today!
A recent study on beta-endorphins (the feel-good hormone that gets released when we exercise) revealed that these hormones are actually reduced when we overtrain, thus reversing their beneficial effects. So, as with most things in life, the key is balance!
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4) Replace Your Java Jolt.
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 Relax, java junkies: I'm not here to tell you that it's time to stop waking up and smelling your morning joe. Of course, as I've said in the past, it's important to choose your caffeinated drinks wisely: heavy creams and sugary syrups can add up to a colossal amount of fat and calories. And for now, I won't focus on the drop in energy that often occurs in the afternoon after you've experienced a caffeine "high," nor will I mention the havoc that coffee can wreak on your sleeping patterns. But I digress . . .
When it comes to choosing a pick-me-up that's good for you, green tea has always gotten all the attention because of its high levels of polyphenol: a compound with antioxidant properties that may protect the heart and have an anticancer effect. But the truth is that coffee, too, can be a health food: most people don't realize that it's even higher in antioxidants than green tea. And the icing on the cake: it even contains some fiber. Studies suggest that coffee could help reduce the risk of Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and even diabetes, as well as improving mental and physical performance.
The downside? Consuming too much caffeine can lead to high blood pressure - not to mention a serious case of the jitters.
My favorite energizer of them all is quick, calorie-free, and doesn't cost a cent: Walking! When I hit the mid-afternoon "conk," I get outside for a brisk pick-me-up. It's been proven that just ten minutes of brisk walking enhances energy levels for up to 90 minutes afterward! Not bad, especially if you want to avoid the "crash" that often results from over-caffeinating.
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5) Mind Over Matter.
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Sometimes the greatest "energy vampire" is the one in our heads - so when it comes to physical well-being, we can't overestimate the importance of mental energy. We all that hear that little voice from time to time, something I like to call the "Itty Bitty Shi*ty Committee." You know the voice I'm talking about - the one that never ceases to point out all of your supposed inadequacies. Not only can this "committee" perpetuate negativity and prevent us from enjoying our lives, but it can drain physical energy so that our workouts suffer, too.
We need that extra spark in our minds in order to concentrate effectively and maintain good technique when we're working out. For a free mind AND body rejuvenator, click here!
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devices...not CD's or DVD's. Links will be sent via email upon purchase. |
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