“A person of intellect without energy added to it, is a failure.”
- Sebastien-Roch Nicolas De Chamfort
Here are my basic strategies for renewing energy at the physical level. Some of them are so familiar they’ve become background noise, easy to ignore. That’s why I’m repeating them. If any of these strategies aren’t part of your life now, their absence may help account for fatigue, irritability, lack of emotional resilience, difficulty concentrating, and even a flagging sense of purpose.
1. Actually do all those healthy things you know you ought to do.
Eat five or six small meals a day: people who eat just one or two meals a day with long periods in between force their bodies into a conservation mode, which translates into slower metabolism.
Always eat breakfast: eating first thing in the morning sends your body the signal that it need not slow metabolism to conserve energy.
Eat a balanced diet: despite all the conflicting nutritional research, overwhelming evidence suggests that a healthy dietary ratio is 50% to 60% complex carbohydrates, 25% to 35% protein, and 20% to 25% fat.
Dramatically reduce simple sugars: in addition to representing empty calories, sugar causes energy-depleting spikes in blood glucose levels.
Drink four to five 12-ounce glasses of water daily, even if you don’t feel thirsty: as much as half the population walks around with mild chronic dehydration.
And finally, on the “you know you should” list: get physically active. I strongly recommend three to four 20 to 30-minute cardiovascular workouts a week, including at least two sessions of intervals - short bursts of intense exertion followed by brief recovery periods.
2. Go to bed early and wake up early.
Night owls have a much more difficult time dealing with the demands of today’s business world, because typically, they still have to get up with the early birds. They’re often groggy and unfocused in the mornings, dependent on caffeine and sugary snacks to keep up their energy. You can establish new sleep rituals. Biological clocks are not fixed in our genes.
3. Maintain a consistent bedtime and wake-up time.
As important as the number of hours you sleep (ideally seven to eight) is the consistency of the recovery wave you create. Regular sleep cycles help regulate your other biological clocks and increase the likelihood that the sleep you get will be deep and restful.
4. Seek recovery every 90 to 120 minutes.
Chronobiologists have found that the body’s hormone, glucose, and blood pressure levels drop every 90 minutes or so. By failing to seek recovery and overriding the body’s natural stress-rest cycles, overall capacity is compromised. Even short, focused breaks can promote significant recovery. I suggest five sources of restoration: eat something, hydrate, move physically, change channels mentally, and change channels emotionally.
5. Do at least two weight-training workouts a week.
No form of exercise more powerfully turns back the markers of age than weight training. It increases strength, retards osteoporosis, speeds up metabolism, enhances mobility, improves posture, and dramatically increases energy.
Follow these simple advices, and you’ll dramatically improve your work performance.
Note: This article is written as part of Darren’s latest Group Writing Project - Top 5.
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I hear a lot about drinking much water. However, are there any papers published about this?
Those are great tips for renewing your energy! I do most of those things already except eating five to six meals a day. I only eat three.
Yes, great tips to keep up energy levels to get through the day so that we can enjoy other things apart from working! I found some great tips in this article as well tohelp move one along to attain your goals: thesecretsofvisualization com/attractionreport.html So if you are having problems wanting to know what is the next step to your goals go and read some of this article.
Cheers
Great Post Ririan. Simple things which we normally ignore. I follow most of them
and it helps me a lot. Tks. Viji
Actually, to be correct, the last one should be, “Do at least two strength training workouts a week.” Strength training is strength training, of which weight training is, but also such things like gymnastics and body weight exercises.
Two is a rather negotiable number anyway, depending on what you’re trying to do with your life and your body, but at minimum, yes, two is fine for a week.
I agree with those tips. I think that irregular sleeping habits is one of the main problems we have and technology is the main reason why we do it.
I’m dead, thanks god it wasn’t a top 10. I think I would fail either
.
Great list here, I have a bad habit of forgetting to eat and have to constantly remind myself that little healthy snacks every day is a good thing!
Many people focus on how to loose weight rather than renewing energy.
i thought this post talk about fuel, but i like this fact too, as Tantowi said I’m focus on my obesity right now
The things you have posted above are very basic and still very helpful. Sometimes people fail to see that simple things like eating 3 times a day or having an ample amount of sleep could greatly affect our health.
I have read an article once about how body clocks have a huge effect on how the body functions. Especially on the energy that the body stores while sleeping.
Thanks for your great strategies! These simple things can help me live a healthy and happy life! ^_^
If you have time, why don’t you drop by my post:
http://mobileko.blogspot.com/2007/05/snatch-top-5-tips-on-how-to-be.html
It’s also an entry for the problogger top 5- group writing project. ^^ Goodluck to us all!
A good diet is definitely number 1. I think better with a satisfied appetite.
Great read for the group blogging project.
Something everyone should print off and put on their fridge. Thank you for sharing these strategies!
Early to bed lol No chance..I blog at night.
But some great tips 
Sounds great. But how can you achieve it? Going to bed early AND being a blogger doesn’t really match to me. I keep trying.
Thanks for these tips. I definitely agree with drinking nearly 64 oz. of water daily, and I definitely feel the difference when I do. Now, I just have to stop blogging and start exercising more regularly!
Those are great tips. I agree with each and every one of them. This should be a good reminder for everyone that stress is often caused by the lack of energy and can be overcome by following the important things.
Being a full time employee, mother, and part time student can be very demanding! I’ll definitly be taking some of your tips to heart! There are several that I could incorporate that I don’t as of now! Great post and good luck on the top 5!
So I guess drinking Guiness is out of the question? I’ve tried your tip number 4, but everytime I change channels emotionally and mentally I find re-runs of old 90’s sitcoms. LOL.
In seriousness, great post with tips that can actually help. Eating a solid and balanced breakfast has always been one of my keys. Gotta start the day off on the right foot.
Turtle King
http://turtlesatwork.blogspot.com
Thanks Ririan You 5 are great and I so much appreciate the reminders. You can change your energy if you do what you suggest.
Check out my 5 Cookin C’s for Success
Joseph
Thanks for a very helpful and to the point article. Even though you speak mostly about universal principles that are widely known, you make them concise and easy to organize in one’s head. I have a difficulty with not overeating in evenings although I really do not want to eat much during the whole day. But when I come home, I am hungry and eager to eat something extra, palatable.
Great post — however drinking a certain amount of water everyday really varies among people. Recently a TV show in Australia called Whats Good For You presented a segment titled “Do our bodies need eight glasses of water a day?”. To see their experiments and conclusions check out http://health.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=110785.
Great Ideas. I’ve been to a few doctor’s appointments in the past and nearly every time my doctor requests that I drink more water. Apparently, dehydration is a fairly common problem, just as you stated. Thanks for the helpful information.
Thanks for sharing
I’d prefer reading in my native language, because my knowledge of your languange is no so well. But it was interesting! Look for some my links:
I’d prefer reading in my native language, because my knowledge of your languange is no so well.