How to Supercharge Your Energy Levels through Exercise

Your energy levels will depend on several factors,curb, they're also carrying that excess weight,
including genetics, nutrition, sleep habits, and emotionalmaking almost everything they do more
stress. Some of these you have no control over Butexhausting.Better-conditioned muscles make every
there is one VERY important factor that you dotask that much easier, regardless of body weight.
have control over and that is your ability to take partWhen you exercise, your ability to use muscle fibers
in physical exercise.Need a source of vast power andis increased. So you require less effort to perform
energy?Look no further than your gym.The linkany physical task.A strong body also has a stronger
between physical fitness and energy is so strong,immune system. Being sick drains us of energy, and
that doctors have lately been prescribing exercise asexercise, by boosting immunity, staves off illness.
treatment for chronic fatigue, depression, seasonalRecent research has shed light on why the strong
affective disorder (SAD), and insomnia, for instance.Ifmay get sick less often and recuperate faster when
sufferers of the most stubborn kind of fatigue canthey do get sick: exercise increases the activity of
be energized with exercise, imagine what can do fornatural killer cells in the bloodstream.* Less Stress *A
those of us who experience ordinary, every-daygreat deal of research supports that weight lifting is
fatigue.* Feel Great At Mid-Afternoon *Your brainone of the most effective means of battling
thrives on oxygen. Blood transports oxygen to thedepression and stress. One of the main fatiguing
brain, so the greater blood flow to the brain, thefactors of depression and stress is lack of sleep. In a
greater the oxygen supply the brain has. As yourecent Stanford University study, formerly sedentary
increase your heartbeat with a vigorous workout,insomniacs who began to exercise fell asleep 15
more blood surges through the brain, more oxygenminutes faster and were able to sleep an hour longer
gets absorbed by your brain cells, and you feel morethan they had before becoming active.* Boost Brain
mentally alert and energetic.Experts point out anotherFitness *To this point, we've been talking about the
long-term cause-and-effect relationship betweenbenefit of exercise on mental energy. But is it
exercise and blood flow to the brain: as you continuepossible that being in shape might translate to even
exercising, the number of capillaries (small bloodgreater mental benefits, such as increased intelligence,
vessels between your arteries and veins) throughoutcreativity, memory, or reasoning ability? It's very
your body will grow. More blood flow through yourpossible.Studies show that both factors of mental
"pipes" means more oxygen will be supplied wherestimulation and exercise were contributing to the
you need it.Regular exercise also keeps the pipesincrease of the brain's learning centers in different
clear and circulation healthy by preventingways. Mental stimulation results in more synapses
atherosclerosis (buildup of plaque). Regular exercise(the little gaps between brain nerve cells that enable
can actually REVERSE atherosclerosis when combinedthem to communicate with one another), while
with a healthy nutrition plan. When you haveexercise increases the number of capillaries in the
atherosclerosis in check, your brain is virtuallycerebellum and cerebral cortex (two areas of the
guaranteed for the rest of your life.Blood also carriesbrain crucial to intelligence.)* Take a Walk *Medical
glucose, the simple sugar that's the primary fuelresearch results could hardly be clearer: Taking a walk
source for your entire nervous system of which theis one of the best ways to take charge of your
brain is the command center. Glucose's productionhealth. A study in the Journal of the American Medical
starts the metabolism of carbohydrates. VariousAssociation (February 11, 1998) showed that walking
enzymes, plus your body's ability to use glucose tobriskly for half an hour just six times a month cut the
produce ATP, the more important energy chemical inrisk of premature death in men and women by 44
the body, control this production. When you exercise,percent. A study in the New England Journal of
you increase the level of those enzymes and theirMedicine (January 8, 1997) reported that men 61 to
activity.In other words, when you exercise regularly,81 years old sharply reduced their risk of death from
you boost your enzymes, resulting in more glucose,all causes, including cancer and heart disease, by
and your body is more efficient in using the glucose.walking two miles a day. Other research has shown
You get a larger supply of ATP, which helps fight offsimilar results for women.Recent studies have
the mid-afternoon energy drop-off.* Increaseconcluded that moderate amounts of exercise -
Metabolism *It's no secret that strength trainers areincluding walking, jogging or using a treadmill for one
firmer and stronger than sedentary folks. How couldhour, four to five times a week - can turn back the
it be otherwise?Resistance exercise builds muscle,aging clock 30 years for middle aged
pure and simple. The more muscle you have, themen.Consistency is probably the most important part
higher your metabolism, and the more calories youof your workout. The more committed you are to
burn even at rest.So why does "strong and toned"walking all or most days of the week, the healthier
equate to more energy?For starters, heavy peopleyou'll be. Remember that short walks are better then
have to lug around more weight all day long. Whennone at all. Health, like life, is a journey. All you have
the overweight climbs a flight of stairs, do yardto do is take the first step.
work, or even just carrying the garbage can to the