Caffeine is useful for short-term boosts of energy. Most energy drinks contain a large amount of
sugar and other substances that can lead to weight-gain and unhealthy side
effects such as:
·
Nervousness
·
Increased heart rate
·
Increased blood pressure
·
Irritability
·
Decreased ability to sleep
·
Anxiousness
Foods and drinks with caffeine and a large amount of
sugar may provide that short-term kick that you need; however, they can
actually cause you to be more fatigued later, leading to increased use of
caffeine for more of a boost. They may
also be loaded with vitamin B which will make you think they are healthy;
however, fish and vegetables have plenty of B vitamins to jump start your
energy, instead of the increased load of sugar and other empty calories your
body doesn’t need from these energy drinks.
Exercise has been shown to have awesome physiological
benefits on the body, including reduction of fatigue. Below is a list of
positive effects brought to you by regular exercise:
·
Decreased blood pressure
·
Improved cholesterol and fat levels
·
Decreased resting heart rate
·
Maintained flexibility of arteries
·
Improved mood and energy level
·
Stress relief
·
Decreased pain (if pain is caused my disuse of
muscles and joints that stiffen)
Now if you go ahead and compare the effects of caffeine
and exercise on your body, you will see that they are complete opposites. You can clearly see that exercise is the
healthier option here.
Most people will argue that they are too busy to exercise and I will argue right back with my favorite quote from a sports ad, “Someone busier than you is running right now.” It’s true…most people can find time in their busy lives to exercise, but most often they don’t want to fit it in their schedules. They feel they are too tired or stressed, but if you have learned something above, you will see that these things can be reduced with a regular exercise program! Yayyyy! Stress is a huge contributor to fatigue in our society. We are overworked, undernourished or overnourished with poor food choices, and lack proper sleep and exercise routines. Most people want that quick fix and don’t want to fix the underlying framework behind why you’re fatigued in the first place. If you take a rubberband and wrap it around your finger as tight as you can, it’s pretty painful right? Well hmmm, we could numb it with a shot right??? Well that would only be temporary. Ok, well let’s kill the pain with pain killers….and again, the rubberband is still there and you’re masking the main problem. Well let’s just take it off of our finger! BINGO! That’s the answer. We have to fix the underlying cause and in this case, that's with regular exercise, a healthy diet, and improved sleep patterns. Now some people may have fatigue for other medical reasons, other than poor diet, lack of exercise, and stress. These people that suffer from chronic fatigue and don’t find relief with change in their diet, improving sleep patterns, or regular exercise should seek a qualified physician for further medical investigation.
So what are you gonna choose to do next? I guess that’s
the main question. If you decide that exercise is for you, the American College
of Sports Medicine (ASCM) provides guidelines for exercise and its
benefits. Below is a list of these
guidelines from their website:
Cardiorespiratory Exercise
·
Adults should get at
least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week.
·
Exercise recommendations
can be met through 30-60 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise (five days per
week) or 20-60 minutes of vigorous-intensity exercise (three days per week).
·
One continuous session
and multiple shorter sessions (of at least 10 minutes) are both acceptable to
accumulate desired amount of daily exercise.
·
Gradual progression of
exercise time, frequency and intensity is recommended for best adherence and
least injury risk.
·
People unable to meet
these minimums can still benefit from some activity.
Resistance Exercise
·
Adults should train each
major muscle group two or three days each week using a variety of exercises and
equipment.
·
Very light or light
intensity is best for older persons or previously sedentary adults starting
exercise.
·
Two to four sets of each
exercise will help adults improve strength and power.
·
For each exercise, 8-12
repetitions improve strength and power, 10-15 repetitions improve strength in
middle-age and older persons starting exercise, and 15-20 repetitions improve
muscular endurance.
·
Adults should wait at
least 48 hours between resistance training sessions.
Flexibility Exercise
·
Adults should do
flexibility exercises at least two or three days each week to improve range of
motion.
·
Each stretch should be
held for 10-30 seconds to the point of tightness or slight discomfort.
·
Repeat each stretch two
to four times, accumulating 60 seconds per stretch.
·
Static, dynamic,
ballistic and PNF stretches are all effective.
·
Flexibility exercise is
most effective when the muscle is warm. Try light aerobic activity or a hot
bath to warm the muscles before stretching.
Neuromotor Exercise
·
Neuromotor exercise
(sometimes called “functional fitness training”) is recommended
for two or three days per week.
·
Exercises should involve
motor skills (balance, agility, coordination and gait), proprioceptive exercise
training and multifaceted activities (tai ji and yoga) to improve physical function and prevent
falls in older adults.
·
20-30 minutes per day is
appropriate for neuromotor exercise.
It is important to fit these things into your workout
routine to improve your overall health and well-being. Going for a walk during a lunch hour is a
huge start to jumpstart energy in the middle of the day to fight that post-lunch fatigue. Movement is power. Join a yoga class to reduce stress and improve flexibility and mindfulness. If you need that extra kick in the butt to get moving, get a personal trainer. Visit http://igo-fitness.com/ and check out their awesome training and yoga classes. You
can still have caffeine in your life, but just remember the risks vs. the
benefits. Is that short-term wakefulness
worth it overall or would you rather exercise and eat healthier to not only
boost energy, but also improve overall health? That’s your ultimate
decision.
References:
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