Yahoo Lifestyle Get More Energy Fast
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These simple strategies ensure you’ll wake up feeling refreshed, be completely on top of your game and wind down just in time for a great night’s sleep. Sound good? Enjoy optimum energy levels from morning to night, no matter what the day throws at you with these top tips.
Get Quality Sleep
Sleep is one of the most important parts of the energy equation. So, before you do anything else, ensure you’re getting it. How? Bouncing out of bed at the same time each morning enables your circadian rhythm to stay in sync with the 24-hour day. In the absence of light, you body’s sleep-wake cycle wants to delay by an average of 12 minutes every day and work on a 24.2-hour rhythm. (Scientists think it may relate to the sun’s seasonal shifts.)
“That means your body wants to keep pushing you bedtime to later,” says Dr Mariana Figueiro. “But if you let that happen and still have to get up at the same time, you’re going to be tired.” So turn the lights on or throw open the blinds first thing, even on a Saturday when you’re angling for a sleep-in. For an instant, easy energy boost, go for a quick 30-minute walk, or eat breakfast by a window.
Time Your Caffeine Hit
You may think you can’t survive the day without a strong morning brew, but it’s the afternoon when you really need the caffeine kick. Caffeine keeps you operating at a high level by blocking the effects of adenosine, a sleep-inducing brain chemical that accumulates as the day wears on (3pm slump, anyone?) By the time adenosine builds up to the point where you start feeling sleepy-generally, in the mid-to late afternoon- the effects of your morning caffeine will have worn off, says Dr James Wyatt, director of the Sleep disorders Service and Research Center in the US. “Having half to on up of coffee or its caffeine equivalent during the late afternoon, when you start to feel particularly sleepy, will keep you energized,” he advises.
Getting Pumped Before a Workout
You know how hearing your favourite song on the radio sends your heart soaring and your feet tapping? It’ll have the same effect if you’re feeling too tired to go to the gym. Pop on your headphones while you lace up your trainers and the tones of Barry White (or whoever floats your boat) will help you forget your fatigue.
In a recent Japanese study, volunteers who worked out for 30 minutes while listening to tunes felt they weren’t exerting themselves as much as when exercising without music.
