During the dark days of winter, energy levels lag, and we tend to eat more and gain weight to get a little boost. Instead, try these healthier measures that will give you a boost without bursting the seams on your jeans.
1. Take a 10-minute walk. That’s all it takes to boost your energy for two hours, according to a study published in the journal Personality and Social Psychology. And the researchers found it boosts energy more than eating a chocolate bar.
2. Watch a funny video -- or a boring one. Having a good chuckle raises your blood pressure and pulse, which can give you a little extra zip when you’re in a lull. Or get yourself to yawm by watching something boring. Yawning drives away drowsiness by activating certain muscles to increase heart rate. It also appears to have a cooling effect on the brain, which heightens attentiveness, according to a 2008 study at the State University of New York at Albany.
3. Do an invirgorating stretch. Stretching your torso activates your sympathetic nervous system to give you more energy. Try standing in a doorway, facing forward, and grab the sides of the doorframe then push your chest forward. If you’re at your desk, release your upper body with a torso twist. Turn to your right while sitting and grab the back of your chair with your right hand, while grabbing the arm of your chair with your left. Turn to your left and repeat on the other side.
How will you get an energy boost this week?Deborah Kotz can be reached at dkotz@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter @debkotz2.