In today’s video, I talk about how you can increase your energy for optimal health during the course of your day without having to reach for a caffeinated beverage.
In our optimal health series, we’ve talked in the last few videos about how important the nervous system is for your overall health and well being. Your nervous system also is going to help you stay energized throughout the course of your day. One of the best ways that you can increase your energy for optimal health in the middle of your day is by oxygenating your nervous system.
Excercise Increases Energy for Optimal Health
That’s one of the reasons that exercise works so well into improving people’s, energy and mindset. When we’re exercising, we’re forcing our heart to pump blood throughout our body. That increases oxygen to not just our tissues, but also to our brain. So a quick thing that you can do in the middle of your day if you a little lethargic, a little run-down, (and inherently you always go to grab that caffeine) is following this great, great practice that you can now use from now on and it will increase your energy for optimal health.
Deep Stomach Breathing
You’re going to focus on your breathing. One of the things you’re going to do is you’re going to work on what we call diaphragmatic breathing. You want to pretend you have a belt wrapped around your stomach and instead of breathing shallowly from your chest, you want to imagine you’re taking that belt and you’re stretching and stretching your stomach by breathing what I call breathing into the stomach. You inhale and really fill up that entire stomach and you exhale forcibly.
Now, when you really need a boost of energy, you’re going to repeat that process 20 to 30 times very quickly and it looks a little silly, I’m not going to lie. When you do this, you actually will both stimulate and increase oxygen to your brain and throughout your body.
Energy Boost
If you do this 20 or 30 times, honestly, you’re going to get a little light-headed, but that’s OK. It’s actually a good sign. You’re forcing some different things that happen on a chemical level in your brain. You’re not going to pass out. Just push through it. Give yourself some quick bursts of breathing in and out very quickly. Do that 20 to 30 times and you will see that your energy level or your ability to focus will increase. Now later in the day, if you feel like you’re getting a little lethargic again or you just need a little motivation to get your brain wired a little differently again, do that breathing exercise. Remember, this will increase your energy for optimal health.
Ways to Stimulate the Flow of Oxygen Across your Day
Some of my friends and my teammates here will tell you sometimes I even go off into a back room like I am here. Nobody else is here. If I have to I’ll do little air squats or push-ups just to stimulate my heart rate and get my breathing up. Again, if you can get away with that in your workplace and go for it.
One thing you all can do is always work on your breathing to increase your optimal health. Work on getting oxygen in your body more fully throughout the entire day by breathing through your stomach – diaphragmatic or belly breathing. If you get to the point where you really need a little quick bolt, a jolt of energy, 20 to 30 rapid breaths in and out forcibly, and you’re going to stimulate oxygen to your brain and spinal cord.
I hope that tip today helps you, blesses some of you. And more next time.
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