Boost Your Energy

Are You Getting Enough Sleep and Exercise?

Most people need about eight hours of shut-eye each night, and not getting enough sleep can certainly cause fatigue. In addition, a lack of sleep has also been linked to longevity-shortening diseases like diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease. Sleep aids can interfere with sleep by causing "rebound insomnia." That means that, after taking them for a while, you have trouble falling asleep without them. Over-the-counter sleep aids can leave you feeling tired even after you wake up. You should also avoid caffeine, alcohol, and tobacco if you are having trouble sleeping.

Regular exercise fights fatigue and promotes longevity. Here are just a few of the benefits you can enjoy from exercising 30 minutes a day for at least four days a week:

Increased energy
Reduced stress
Reduced risk of premature death
Improved mental health
Reduced risk of heart disease
3 Easy Energy Boosters

Choosing healthy habits over unhealthy ones can help you decrease fatigue and better enjoy your life. Try some of these energy boosters:

Manage stress. Stress is a normal reaction to events that happen in everyone's life, but stress that goes on too long and is not managed properly is bad for your health. Some of the more common signs of stress include fatigue, depression, high blood pressure, trouble sleeping, and a loss or gain in weight. Some healthy habits that help many people manage stress include meditation, yoga, exercise, and social activities.
Get rid of high-sugar foods that overload your digestive system. You can do this by eliminating sugary foods like cookies, candies, and soft drinks. You can also substitute carbohydrates that cause a sugar rush with those that are absorbed more slowly. That means fewer potatoes, white rice, and white bread, and more whole grains, fruits, nuts, and green vegetables.
Schedule regular doctor visits. See your doctor for preventive health check-ups and don't ignore symptoms of fatigue that could be caused by a treatable or preventable disease.
Fatigue could be a warning of something that is making you sick or unhealthy — and ultimately affecting your longevity. In most cases, you can fight fatigue with a healthy diet, regular exercise, a good night's sleep, and stress reduction. But if these energy boosters don't help, talk to your doctor.