Bet you wish you had more energy. Instead of reaching for the coffee, the caffeinated energy drinks or supplements, there is only ONE thing you probably need to reach for– WATER.
Friends out there that know me, stop rolling your eyes– there was a time when I was a water-only girl until I was seduced by coffee with it’s decadent flavor and it’s meth-like high.
We need A LOT of water, yep, it’s true. The recommended six to eight glasses a day will keep you from dragging and even your skin from sagging. Your eyes will be brighter, and so will your brain. Every cell in your body depends on good old H2O, and when your body is deprived, you feel tired (and you don’t look so good either).
Now, if you love your coffee, fine. Have a cup or two, but try to wait until after your workout to have it and let your body’s nervous system and adrenals cue themselves. Chances are you won’t crave that cup o’ joe for energy reasons. Even I, in my meth-tastic addiction to coffee, usually save the coffee for after my workout. Your workouts will feel better au naturel!
Drinking plenty of water will give you more strength to build muscle the way the body is intended to build it. Women tend to gravitate to caffeine and chromium picolinate as “natural” stimulants. A little coffee if you must, okay. But chromium picolinate causes heart attack, stroke, and at best, erratic and hyper behavior. STAY AWAY FROM IT. Men tend to gravitate to powder supplements and anabolic steroids. Supplements are usually fine as long as it’s vitamins and protein only and contains no stimulants– read the label! You really don’t need the supplements if you’re eating well. As for anabolics, we all know they’re really bad, so stay away from those and anybody who takes them. If guys at your gym suddenly looked like someone inflated them with a bicycle pump– steer clear. Anabolics inflate tempers too.
Now, if your drinking your water, and you’re still tired, take a good hard look at your diet. You need whole grains and protein in the morning, little or no carbs with veggies and protein at lunch, and dinner should be complex carbs, veggies, and protein as well in order to maintain peak energy levels and not have your pancreas start dumping glucose into your bloodstream from the wrong combinations. In a nutshell, too much glucose in the bloodstream makes us fat and sleepy, and can also result in adrenal fatigue and diabetes in some cases.
You say you’re doing all this, and getting enough sleep (that’s seven to eight hours a night) and you’re STILL tired? Go get your thyroid checked especially if you are a woman over 35 or if you had a baby less than two years ago. Men can suffer from underactive thyroid as well. Usually, a combination of exercise and medication can get thyroid levels back to normal range. Drinking plenty of water can help prevent thyroid disease as well as lots of other organ malfunctions including your heart. See the chart below, and COMMIT to drinking more water! As always, for more information about personal training please visit my official website at www.starpilatesandyoga.com.
Horsham Hubs Magazine 
I’m listening!
Thank you! Let me know if there’s anything you’d like me to cover and how you feel from changes that you make!