Energy levels can fluctuate in all of us. But if you’re feeling constantly fatigued, that can have a major impact on your physical activity, brain function, and quality of life.
If you struggle with a consistent lack of energy, the problem may run deeper. Instead of trying to find a quick fix, such as coffee or an energy drink, there are healthier ways to create natural, long-lasting energy.
How Can I Naturally Boost My Energy?
Our bodies use energy for everything, but the three main ways include:
- Eating and digesting food
- Moving and performing physical activities
- Resting (Surprisingly, most of our energy used up in a day — about 60% — is from being at rest!)
You start each day with a specific amount of energy that you can spend, so it’s important to “charge up” your energy in ways that will create productive, healthier and long-lasting effects.
8 natural ways to increase your daily energy
-
Hydration
A common symptom of dehydration is fatigue. Your body is constantly losing water and electrolytes through sweat, tears, breathing, and urine. Drinking enough water throughout the day will enhance performance and leave you feeling energized for a day’s work.
-
Consume Vitamin B12
B12 is a vitamin found in foods such as meat, fish, dairy, and poultry. Although not a common issue, vegans, vegetarians, and people with digestive track conditions can have a deficiency of B12. If left untreated, a lack of B12 can cause fatigue, muscle weakness and anemia. Vitamin B12 is often considered the “energy vitamin” and has a strong influence on producing energy and helping overcome fatigue.
-
Consume Vitamin B6
Vitamin B6 is critical for brain development, as well as keeping healthy nervous and immune systems. B6 also plays a major role in producing hemoglobin, the protein found in red blood cells that carries oxygen in the body. Without enough hemoglobin, your muscles and tissues can’t work, leading to a condition called anemia that causes fatigue and weakness. You can get your dosage of B6 each day by eating fish, poultry, bananas, potatoes and chickpeas, or through supplements.
-
Exercise
Contrary to what you may think, exercising can add to the amount of energy you have each day, not deplete it. But how does that make sense? Mayo Clinic reports, “Exercise relieves stress and tension, strengthens muscles, and boosts endurance, which helps your body to work more efficiently during other physical tasks or activities.” Regular exercise builds muscle strength, boosts physical endurance and improves overall health and energy levels.
-
Maximize Good Sleep
If you are experiencing sleep deprivation, you’re negatively impacting your energy level, motivation, and mood. It’s widely accepted that we need at least seven hours of sleep every night. Unfortunately, the busier we get, the more we tend to sacrifice sleep. Making sleep a priority is one of the best ways to feel refreshed and energized for the next day.
-
Drink Green Tea
If you turn to short-term energy fixes in the morning like coffee, you may want to start looking at green tea for your dose of caffeine. Green tea has less caffeine than coffee — and even though you may think you need more caffeine to stay energized throughout the day, drinking green tea will give you a milder, long-lasting buzz. Green tea contains an amino acid called L-theanine. The combination of caffeine and L-theanine in green tea also improves alertness and focus, according to the National Institutes of Health.
-
Minimize Stress
Stress is unavoidable in life, but too much stress can leave you feeling drained. Fatigue is a common symptom of stress, so keeping stress levels to a minimum will help preserve your energy throughout the day. Cleveland Clinic offers ways to reduce stress in your life, including exercise and relaxation techniques.
-
Avoid Alcohol and Smoking
Your energy levels may be affected by alcohol and smoking. Along with the other numerous amounts of health risks, nicotine makes it harder for your lungs to work, and this lack of oxygen results in fatigue. Alcohol, on the other hand, has sedative effects on your body, making you feel drowsy and tired. However, it negatively affects your quality of sleep too because it “raises the body's level of epinephrine, a stress hormone that increases the heart rate and generally stimulates the body, which can result in nighttime awakenings,” according to Harvard Health. Avoiding alcohol will help eliminate these sleep interruptions, increasing energy levels due to a good night’s rest.
Stay Energized with Hydralyte + Energy Boost
- Your days might leave you feeling tired and lacking energy. Hydralyte + Energy Boost has everything you need to rehydrate with 7 key electrolytes, minus all the sugar of other hydration drinks. Try Hydralyte’s new Energy Boost formulated with 100mg of caffeine from green tea and vitamins B12 and B6 for on-the-go hydration to support your active lifestyle.