Did you wake up this morning feeling as though you had never gone to bed last night? Did you miss another class lecture because you couldn’t keep your eyes open? If you answered yes to these questions, some of your daily habits may be draining your energy.
The number one cause of energy depletion, especially for college students, is stress. The stresses of school not only drain on you mentally but physically as well. A good way to deal with this stress and actually increase your energy is to go work out. Exercise helps you ease tension and causes your body to produce endorphins, making you happier and more energetic. The exercise also improves your stamina, which means your body will not have to expend the same amount of energy to perform simple daily tasks, therefore keeping energy up. Combining some cardio to a weight training schedule or vise versa will also improve your stamina and mood. Go run around the lakes; you can get some exercise, scenery and a tan.
A more relaxing way of getting rid of the stress is to get a massage. Massages decrease muscle tension and the amount of the oh – so – scary stress hormone cortisol, which builds up during weight training and inhibits muscle growth. Put those books down for awhile and let someone rub out all that tension.
The way you eat could also be giving you energy deficiency. Try not to go more than 4 hours between meals that you eat during the day. This is one main reason that you should eat breakfast in the morning. While you are sleeping, your body doesn’t require much energy to carry out processes, but it still requires some energy. Depending on your sleeping habits, you may have gone without food for 6 to 10 hours. If you are not able to spare a moment to eat a whole meal, bring some snacks with you and try to at least put something in your body. Also, don’t copy the diet exactly the way you find in the magazines that the size zero waist fitness girl supposedly does. Each person’s body is different than another and you must fit the diet to what you can handle and what works best for you. If you create your own diet in this manner, you are more likely to stick to it. Following a balanced diet will provide you with the necessary nutrients your body needs and will help keep your energy levels up. Also, supplement a multi-vitamin to help get the necessary amounts of each nutrient. Another important part of your diet should be to make sure that you drink enough water. Staying hydrated throughout the day will help maintain you energy levels, so bring a water bottle to class.
Of course, the most effective way to keep your energy levels up is to get adequate amounts of sleep. Take a “power nap” before going to the Rec to replenish yourself after a long day at school.
Follow these tips and see if your energy boosts.