Believe it or not, working out can actually help you become more energetic. This statement might sound a little contradicting, but it makes more sense than you’d think. Regularly exercising can help improve your heart health, enhance your sleep quality, and boost your endorphin levels. All of these things will help you feel more energetic for different reasons.
For instance, improving your heart health will allow you to similarly improve your endurance levels. This will leave you with more energy left at the end of the day. To accomplish this, the American Heart Association suggests that adults spend a minimum of 150 minutes engaging in moderate-intensity aerobic exercise (meaning that you’ve broken a sweat and your heart rate is elevated) per week.
We’ve assembled a list of a few different types of exercise that you might want to consider trying. Some of these exercise methods will even help combat low energy in more than just one way. If you’re struggling with fatigue and depleted energy levels, the idea of participating in any type of workout may seem overwhelming. Don’t dismiss the idea right away—this really might be the best solution. Remember, you don’t have to go full-out immediately. There’s nothing wrong with starting small, and gradually increasing your workout as you start to feel better.
Brisk Walks
While running or jogging can be difficult for those who suffer from back or knee issues, a walk might be the ideal solution. A walk is arguably the easiest way to get a good workout in. You don’t need any special equipment or formal instruction to take a walk—just a pair of shoes. Walking two miles in 30 minutes would qualify as moderate-intensity aerobic exercise, but walking is good for more than just your heart. A brisk walk can serve as a good general workout.
A walk also usually means that you end up spending some time outdoors. This additional outdoor time is another benefit to opting to take a brisk walk. Studies suggest that simply spending time outside can help to reduce tiredness, reduce stress and increase energy.
Yoga
Yoga is well known as a way to help soothe anxiety and ease stress. However, yoga can offer other benefits, including improving sleep quality and increasing the amount of cortisol currently in your blood. As low cortisol levels can cause you to experience increased fatigue, maintaining a good cortisol level can only help your energy levels.
On top of all that, regular yoga practice is known to serve as an effective way to naturally improve your energy levels. Certain yoga poses, such as the Camel Pose or the Half Sun Salutation are even specifically designed to help encourage blood flow and increase energy levels.
Biking
Spending just 30 minutes on a stationary bike causes a rise in energy in one study done by University of Georgia (UGA) researchers in Athens. Biking can help stimulate your mind and strengthen your heart.
You don’t even need to spend a full half-hour biking to see health benefits—if you cover four miles on a bike in 15 minutes, you’ll have achieved moderate-intensity physical activity. You can also get the added benefit of spending time outdoors while biking if you opt for a traditional bike. Even if you purchase a stationary bike, however, you’ll still see definite benefits.
Tai Chi
Also known as tai chi chuan, this ancient Chinese set of exercises comes complete with a host of health benefits. These range from strengthening nerves and lowering the stress placed on your heart to calming anxiety and helping ease joint problems.
Tai chi can also aid someone who is struggling with depression. Since a common symptom of depression is chronic fatigue, treating depression may aid in improving energy levels in affected individuals. A typical tai chi workout lasts between 30 and 45 minutes. However, tai chi is a low-impact method of exercise, so individuals of all ages and varying levels of fitness should be able to handle it.
Conclusion
These are only a few suggestions for possible ways you could work out to become a bit more energetic. Ultimately, the most important thing is to find something that you enjoy doing. It will be much easier to establish a regular workout routine if you can find some genuine enjoyment in your chosen form of exercise.
Keep in mind that it may take some time before you start feeling the full effects of your increased activity, making it that much more important to establish a routine. Still, if you do successfully establish a routine, you should start feeling a great deal better. Good luck!
