Exercise for Energy

Tiredness or fatigue may be your go-to excuse for not exercising. If this is the case, we have some good news; exercise has been found to actually increase your energy levels!

In fact, exercise has many benefits to physical and mental health including:

• Increased energy
• Improved sleep quality
• Reduced stress and tension

Energy

The amount of energy you can have is a direct result of your diet and exercise. Energy comes from the mitochondria in your cells, and your diet and exercise are directly related to the amount of mitochondria your body produces. The more active you are, the more mitochondria your body produces.

This means that, contrary to popular understanding, the more energy you use, the more energy your body will have available.

This may seem hard to believe if you’ve experienced fatigue after high intensity training. However, you may have noticed that a couple of hours later your energy levels pick back up and you felt more energized. This is because it takes some time for your body to produce the extra mitochondria it needs. To avoid this post training lull you can start with low-moderate training instead and build up to higher intensities.

Improves sleep quality

Not only does exercise increase your energy, it also improves your sleep quality. It helps you to fall asleep faster, get better quality sleep and deepen your sleep. This means that you’ll feel more refreshed in the mornings.

However, the production of endorphins during exercise, and the high that it leaves you on, could leave you struggling to fall asleep if you exercise too close to your bedtime. The increase in body temperature that exercise causes could also have the same effect. So, it’s best to limit plan your workouts so that you are finished exercising at least 1-2 hours before you plan to go to bed.

Reduces stress

Regular aerobic exercise has been found to decrease tension and elevate and stabilize mood. This is in part because when you exercise your brain produces endorphins, which are neurotransmitters that make you feel good. Exercise that requires deep breathing is particularly good for relieving stress because deep breathing triggers the body’s relaxation response. Therefore, exercise is a great remedy for stress.