There was a time in my early 20s after having my babies that I felt very tired and struggled with 50 pounds of extra weight.
I remember distinctly going in to see my doctor wanting to ask how I could increase my energy level.
His first response was to ask if I was exercising.
I thought that to be a ridiculous question as I had just told him I was feeling tired.
How did he expect I would exercise if I didn’t have energy? He told me that once I started to exercise, I would feel better and in time my energy levels would increase.
So I began the journey to discover if what he said was true. I wasn’t particularly health-conscious in my life up to that point, but what I was about to discover set me on a new lifestyle path and ultimately into a career as a fitness professional.
I began to read about nutrition and started to make better food choices.
I made exercise a priority in my life, starting with daily walks and then walking turned into running.
I lost the 50 pounds leaving me wanting to help motivate and inspire others with my newfound experience.
The fact is: Regular exercise increases energy levels.
Contrary to popular belief, exercising doesn’t make you tired—it literally creates energy in your body.
Your body rises up to meet the challenge for more energy by becoming stronger.
The explanation for this goes deep into the cellular level of the body, where we find the mitochondria, those tiny, energy-producing organs found in every body cell.
The more you move around, the more mitochondria your body makes to meet your energy needs.
The more mitochondria you have, the greater the boost to your metabolism, and the greater your ability to produce more energy.
Research has found that inactive people who normally complained of fatigue could increase energy by 20 per cent while decreasing fatigue by as much as 65 per cent, just by simply participating in regular, low-intensity exercise.
It may seem counterintuitive, but expending energy by engaging in regular exercise will pay off in the long run.
With exercise, the hardest thing to do is scheduling the time for it.
Choose a consistent time that you can exercise daily.
Make your goal to exercise three to five days a week and never go more than one day without exercising. That way, you’ll never get out of the habit.
I have personally found that keeping a workout journal and food logging is a beneficial way to keep myself accountable, more mindful of keeping the weight off for good.
Remember, in order to reap the full benefits of losing weight and gaining energy it can’t simply be a phase, it has to become your lifestyle.