One of the most common symptoms I am asked about by my patients is a lack of energy. Going through life is challenging enough without feeling run down, so here are a few of my tips for increasing your energy.
1. Eat less sugar. When you consume refined sugar (such as in breads, sugary drinks and table sugar) your body must produce large amounts of adrenaline and insulin to remove it from your blood stream. This creates a brief spike in energy followed by a drastic crash. If you reduce your sugar intake you’ll avoid these ups and downs.
2. Exercise more intensely. Any exercise is ultimately good but if you want to really to raise your energy levels, try upping the intensity. Intense exercise provides amazing physiological benefits such as fat burning, endorphin release and much more. Don’t be the person at the gym that reads the paper for 15 minutes while sitting on a machine, be the one that exerts yourself and leaves sweating and you’ll immediately notice you’re more energetic.
3. Don’t skip breakfast. Not eating breakfast is the equivalent of trying to drive your car without gas. Avoiding breakfast has been proven to decrease energy levels throughout the day. You don’t need an elaborate breakfast but you should make time for a yogurt, shake or anything quick and healthy to get your energy levels heading in the right direction.
4. Eat more frequently. Low blood sugar causes immediate and drastic fatigue and is caused when your body goes too long without eating. Select healthy, whole foods like proteins, fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, etc and eat them more frequently throughout the day to keep your blood sugar stable and energy constant.
5. Avoid drama. Stressful situations rapidly drain our energy. We are all forced to deal with stressful situations at times but the key is to avoid the self-inflicted variety. If you’re involved in some drama seemingly every day and you have no energy as a result, it may be time to make some changes.
6. Get some holistic help. As a chiropractor I have witnessed thousands of my patients improve their energy dramatically after receiving adjustments. Everyday activities such as prolonged sitting, staring at a computer, poor posture, repetitive motions and more all apply stress to the spine which in turn causes nerve irritation. Re-aligning the spine removes nerve pressure allowing your body to operate more efficiently which leads to increased vitality. In addition to regular chiropractic checkups, I also recommend acupuncture and/or massage which are other natural ways to stimulate your body’s energy.