Ban End-of-the-Year Sluggishness with Energy-Boosting Exercises

Three more days and the holiday season will be over! Even if you are one of those people who can’t get enough of the festivities and celebrations, you are probably feeling tired by now. Let’s face it: all this holidaying can be pretty exhausting.


What do you do if you feel worn out and dragged out? Do you reach for that extra cup of coffee, an energy drink, or - even worse- a candy bar?


All you probably want to do is curl up and sleep the rest of the year away, but here is what scientific studies and anecdotal evidence tell us: Exercise, not hibernation, is the best fatigue-busting and energy-boosting technique.


I am referring to research that found people who participate in physical activity decrease their tiredness level by as much as 60 percent and increase their energy by 20 percent.


Exercise energizes and recharges not only your body, but also your mind.  There is no better way to invigorate you from head to toe.


What are the best pick-me-up exercises?  Virtually anything that keeps you moving at a brisk pace and increases your heart ratewill be effective.  Walking, biking, jogging, swimming, doing jumping jacks, even dancing and rope-skipping, will rev you up.


Fitness boot camps are excellent energy boosters because they combine a variety of cardiovascular, strength, endurance, speed, agility, and flexibility workouts.


Whatever exercises you choose, I recommends that you schedule your workout first thing in the morning. Exercising any time during the day is beneficial, but if you tire easily, you may not feel motivated to exercise later in the day.  But if you start early, you will create energy that lasts all day. And, as an added bonus, a morning workout will raise your metabolism that will burn calories throughout the day.


Another energy-bolstering tip is eating a healthy breakfast.  You probably heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day – and it’s true.  A nutritional breakfast should ideally include a serving of whole grains, low-fat protein and dairy, as well as fruit.


Skipping breakfast may make you binge later in the day, when hunger pangs strike.  Not only will you feel tired, but also probably end up eating something that you can quickly grab on the go – like junk food. And it’s no secret that eating too much junk food, which is full of saturated fats, as well as sugar or salt, will leave you feeling sluggish and fatigued – exactly the opposite of what you want to accomplish.

Finish the year STRONG!   Happy New Year!

Yours in health,
Sara Oliver
Adventure Boot Camp Owner and Fitness Expert
http://www.gettobootcamp.com/
saraoliver@gettobootcamp.com

Needing a Push?

I received a fantastic book this year for Christmas that I'm enjoying so much! It's called Even Eagles Need a Push by David McNally and Mac Anderson. It's begins with the thoughts of a mother eagle in contemplating pushing her young out of the nest. "Why does the thrill of soaring have to begin with the fear of falling?" But she knew that until they learned how to soar, they would fail to understand the privilege it was to have been born an eagle. The push was the greatest gift she had to offer. It was her supreme act of love. And so, one by one, she pushed them and .... THEY FLEW!
Where are you? How are you finishing 2010? Need a push? Need to give someone else the push?

It's my true desire that this time next year, you will look back with pride at all you will have accomplished in 2011. Enjoy this week and take some time to reflect over the past 12 months. Then take a pen and paper and decide where you want to be this time next year.

We look forward to helping inspire you in your health and fitness goals in the coming year! Stay tuned for lots of great tips and events we'll will be hosting throughout the coming year to help you do just that: Push you toward your goals!

Yours in health,
Sara Oliver
Adventure Boot Camp Owner & Fitness Expert