If you’re lacking energy, it may seem counterintuitive, but you need to get some exercise! That’s right, exercise can actually increase your energy levels. It’s not complicated. When you get regular exercise, you experience:
- An increase in endorphin levels. Endorphins are your body’s natural hormones and when you do something requiring a burst of energy, like exercise, they are released, increasing your energy levels even more.
- Better heart health. Exercise boosts cardiovascular health, which in turn gives you greater endurance throughout the day. When it’s easier to perform your daily tasks, you’ll have excess energy and not feel so tired at the end of the day.
- Improved sleep. Exercise encourages you to get a better night’s sleep. When you get more quality sleep, you feel more energized during the day. It’s a cycle.
- Sharper focus.Those endorphins released during exercise boost your mood as well. So, mentally, you feel more energized and ready to take on your day.
Choose an Energy-Boosting Workout
Any exercise or physical activity that gets your heart rate up and your blood pumping is going to release endorphins and increase your energy levels. Good cardiovascular exercises will strengthen your heart and give you more stamina.
The key is finding something you enjoy and will stick with. If you have a dog and enjoy walking, then increase your speed and turn it into a workout. If swimming is your thing, find a nearby pool and do some laps. Even gardening can be a workout if you really put some muscle into it. If you know that you’re likely to bail on yourself, then find a class or a friend that will help hold you accountable.
While it may seem like you don’t have enough energy to get through your day, let alone get in a workout, over time you will see that pushing yourself to exercise really does increase your energy levels. A word of warning – try to exercise earlier in the day since the release of those endorphins too close to bedtime can actually make it harder for you to fall asleep.
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