5 Simple Ways to Get More Energy

Ready for a handful of simple ways to increase your energy levels throughout the day so you can actually do the things you want along with the stuff you should be doing?

I’ll be the first to admit sometimes I don’t always stay on top of things like I should be. Yeah I’m eating clean (for the most part 😉 ), working out hard, but I don’t always do the things I should be doing that keep me energized long term.

Your energy is one of your most valuable assets and we’ve all felt how low you can feel if you don’t have enough of it. Doing the simplest things seems near impossible when all you want to do is plop onto the couch in your PJ’s and watch the TV before you pass out.

But if you actually want to get something accomplished in 2014 it’s going to require energy.

You can only drink so much coffee during the day to get you through it before you push your body to its breaking point. There are some simple ways I’m about to share with you that can dramatically increase your energy levels…

My 5 Favorite Ways to Increase Your Energy

1. Sleep. Well, that’s an obvious one Josh. I’m not saying you should be getting 10 hours of sleep every night because studies have found 6-8 hours to be the ideal range for most people, and those who slept more than 9 actually saw negative effects from doing so. The trick is to have the same bed time and wake up time every day. This keeps your body’s circadian rhythms in line and the inflammation down. I set an alarm on my iPhone to go off at 10:00pm every night. That’s when I do a little mobility work, clean up, read and then pass out at 10:30. Then I always wake up at 6:30am.

2. Drink water. If your body is dehydrated then it’s going to get fatigued. Since we’re working out a lot we should be drinking a lot more water than the typical person. The first thing I do when I wake up in the morning is to drink a few glasses of water. It’s also important to drink water after you’ve had some caffeine or if you’ve just finished working out. If you’re thirsty then that means you’re already dehydrated and should be drinking up.

3. Kill your deficiencies. Did you know that if you have a vitamin deficiency that it could be sucking away all of your energy? I recommend getting tested by a place like WellnessFX to see if you’re deficient, and then you can adjust accordingly. Usually after replenishing yourself from deficiencies you’ll feel like a new person. I also recommend taking a multivitamin as well, I like to take MetaboGreens to cover my bases.

4. Don’t eat garbage. I know this one is easier said than done but the way you feel after eating a healthy meal is LIGHT YEARS better than eating garbage. A nutritious meal should leave you feeling satisfied and with an increase in energy while a bad one will leave you feeling drained and bloated. Plan some simple meals ahead of time, systemize your diet and stick to it. The food you eat at night can also have an effect on your energy levels the next day. See my list of the best bedtime foods for weight loss.

5. Focus on the good stress. Most of the fitness gurus out there say you should completely avoid stress to feel better but that’s not true at all. There are 2 kinds of stress. Eustress and distress. Eustress is the good stress we want to focus on because it pushes us to be better. An example would be a competitor opening up a rival business that makes you step your game up. You always work harder when there’s something pushing you. Same thing with your workouts. If a trainer is pushing you during your workouts it’s a form of eustress. We want to avoid the B.S. distress such as haters, a crappy boss, etc.

There are my 5 favorite ways to get more energy throughout the day. You don’t have to stop drinking coffee and there are even a lot of studies out there that have found it beneficial in moderation. I actually look forward to drinking my iced coffee every morning along with my green/white tea.

Let’s make 2014 our most productive year yet and our energy is going to the fuel we’ll need to get there.