Too Tired to Exercise?

by Heather Long | More from this Blogger

05 Jun 2006 04:49 AM

Are you like most other Americans? Are you working longer hours? Are you sleeping less? Are you skipping meals? Are you a part of the 33% that suffer from chronic insomnia? If you are - then you are probably tired all the time and the very idea of hitting the treadmill, the elliptical, the gym, the aerobics or yoga class or worse - the weight training is something to be dreaded because if you are tired now - how the heck are you supposed to do the rest of it?

Recharge Your Batteries

Don't get all caught up in the semantics of where your energy is going. In fact, you should focus more on how to recharge your personal batteries and sustain your daily energy? First and foremost, don't avoid exercise because you are tired. Yes, I know that sounds like an oxymoron - but no matter how tired you are - exercise attacks your exhaustion on two fronts.

When you turn your car on, it uses the battery's stored charge to get the engine running. Once the engine is running, it charges the battery - do you see where I am going here? Charging your personal battery is much the same way. When you work out - you flood your body with endorphins and you create energy. When you work out in the morning, not only do you shake off the tired from the night - you can put some zip into your day.

In fact, health experts have long recommended that if you lose just 5 percent of your body weight, you will increase your daily energy values, your health and you will feel incredible. You need to lose one pound at a time and with every pound that falls off - your energy levels will climb higher.

Workouts for Energy

Cardiovascular workouts are among the best battery charges. You can go for a power walk outdoors or on a treadmill. You can cycle on a stationary or street bike. You can dance - ultimately whatever gets your heart up and moving is what will be getting your energy levels up. If you're like me, you'll want some good music to listen to and music always gives your day a lot of charge.

If you want to keep your energy levels up - improve your muscle tone-that means adding some weight training to your day. Will you feel a little tired at the end of the first few times you do your working out? Of course - but the reward is immensely higher levels of energy. In that vein - watch for some energy up workouts here this week - all of them delivered in bite size 10 to 15 minute chunks so you can not only charge up your personal batteries, but also reap the overall health rewards.

Learn more about Heather Long

Heather Long is 35 years old and currently lives in Wylie, Texas. She has been a freelance writer for six years. Her husband and she met while working together at America Online over ten years ago.

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