Lady LUX

Find more energy with these tips

1. Drink plenty of water.
2. Eat healthy fats – they’re essential to absorb antioxidants that provide you with core energy.
3. Hit the gym for a fast energy boost. Even 12 minutes of a workout can substantially improve your mood and energy level. Even though you may feel tired at the start, a quick workout forces your heart to pump more oxygen and other nutrients into your bloodstream. This causes your cardiovascular system and lungs to funtion better and improve your energy levels.
4. Take a cold shower to stimulate your body and circulate blood flow.
5. Nap. Successful people take power naps. Studies have shown that power naps boost productivity levels, improve mood, benefit health, and increase alertness and memory. Other studies show how many minutes you need to nap in order to yield the best productivity.
6. Chew gum. Studies have shown that chewing mint gum for just 15 minutes increases alertness by stimulating the autonomic nervous system.
7. Change to colored lightbulbs. Everyone knows that bright lights wake you up. But did you know that colored lights have different effects on us as well? Studies have shown that blue lights can gently stimulate our alertness.
8. Acupressure. Massaging the edges of your ear for at least half a minute stimulates your body's energy flow.
9. Breath deeply. Do a 5-minute deep breathing exercise, breathing in deeply into the abdomen and out fully. This improves the oxygen intake in the body, which in turn helps with energy levels.
10. Drink herbal tea blend of either peppermint, rosemary, ginger, licorice or ginseng. Their properties can act to quicken and enliven the body’s physiological activity
11. Do some yoga and get active. Discover one physical activity where the only focus is aligning your breath with your movement.
12. Take two minutes to inhale an essential oil stimulant such as lemon, peppermint, orange, or grapefruit or cinnamon oil. If you put a dab on your pulse points and breathe them in slowly inhaling and exhaling for up to two minutes, and you’ll feel instant stimulation and energy.
13. Pull back and stretch. Literally, pull yourself back from the computer screen or whatever stationary position you are in, and stretch your arms and legs as far as you can. If you are sitting in a chair and stretch your limbs simultaneously, you will wake up your muscles.
14. Take five minutes and play one or two of your favorite ramp-up songs that makes you want to nod your head and stomp your feet. You’d be surprised at how good music will move not only your body, but your thoughts all while giving you a great boost of instant energy.
15. Don’t stress. Remember, stress is just energy. So don't let that energy run your life.

And finally, actress/broadway producer and mom Margaret Luce, who's had a modeling career spanning over 20 years and picked up several tricks along the way that help her get that little bit of last rep in, shared her secrets for boosting energy.

“I drink matcha tea every morning, a great way to energize and loads of natural antioxidants, also the most powerful green tea on the planet. I started taking anti-fatigue vitamins. I take one in the morning for energy and one at night for relaxing and I find it helps with endurance in my workouts, probably because I'm well rested. Also, it helps when I have some fruit, the natural sugars in fruit help me workout longer and harder so I don't feel fatigued.. Also, I love my ginger and turmeric shots, either juiced or blended in with some coconut water, it's a great natural energy boost and also the most effective natural anti-viral ingredients on the planet,” Luce said.

Sources: Monika Paez, Miami-based fitness model and instructor; Ola Nwakodo, medical herbalist; Amy Oestreicher; Rebecca Lee, founder of the natural health resource, RemediesForMe.com; Naketa R. Thigpen, president of ThigPro.