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One of the best ways to keep your body healthy is to challenge it physically with exercise and movement each day, but in order to follow through with these pursuits, you need to find the energy to pull yourself off the couch or out of bed and be active. But what can you do to find more energy to exercise each day? In today’s blog, we share some tips for waking up with more energy or becoming reenergized throughout the day so that you can stay active and healthy.

Five Ways To Find More Energy

If you constantly find yourself dragging in the afternoon or wishing you had more energy to do things throughout the day, consider these tips.

  1. Regular Sleep Patterns – Work to establish a regular sleep routine. We know that’s not always possible given your work shift or social life, but if your body is in a healthy sleep routine, it will be able to get the restorative sleep it needs to fuel you through the next day. Make your sleeping area an ideal place for extended restful sleep. Don’t play on your phone for an hour or leave a television on all night, because that can cut into your sleep time or cause interruptions throughout the night. Try to go to bed and wake up at around the same time each day, and your body should start to feel more rested.
  2. Food Choices – You can find more energy by making smart dietary choices, and on the flip side, a poor diet and leave you feeling lethargic and in need of a nap. Avoid greasy and fatty options, especially around lunch time, and don’t assume that sugar is what will give you that energy boost, because you will likely experience a crash after the initial rush wears off, and that can leave you feeling tired. Smaller meals are also helpful, because if your body is spending a lot of energy digesting a big meal, you’re naturally going to feel more tired. Reach for healthy options like fruits, vegetables, and high-protein snacks to fuel your body.
  3. Stay Active – We know this may sound a bit oxymoronic, but if you can push past feeling tired and get up and move, you’ll likely find that you’re more energized after a short workout. While it’s true that you’re expending energy when you’re moving and exercising, your heart rate will increase and healthy, oxygenated blood will circulate more easily, helping structures get what they need to function optimally. If you don’t feel like you have the energy to exercise, stand up and walk around for two minutes or go up and down a flight or stairs and see if movement has started to beget more movement.
  4. Drink Water – Water consumption is also essential for your energy levels throughout the day. Water itself may not fuel you to be more energized, but being dehydrated can leave you feeling achy, cramped and fatigued, which will leave you wanting to stay on the couch the rest of the night. A good rule of thumb is to take your weight, cut it in half and drink that many ounces of water each day. Make it your primary drink or choice instead of soda, coffee or energy drinks.
  5. Fix Your Posture – Finally, you may notice that you’re feeling better and more energized by improving your posture. If you’re slouched in your chair or hunched at a desk, certain structures are going to be handling more strain. Over time, this prolonged stress can lead to cramping, strains or tissue degeneration, causing pain and making you more likely to rest than to get up and be active in the face of discomfort. Strive to improve your posture when you’re seated, and you may feel more energized simply because your back or your neck isn’t aching like it used to.

For more tips on how you can find more energy throughout the day, or for help overcoming an injury so that you can remain active, reach out to the team at OrthoRehab Specialists today at (612) 339-2041.

Dr. Andy Masis, PT
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