9 Ways to Get More Energy For Your Workouts
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Many of us don’t work out consistently simple due to the fact that we don’t have enough energy. We barely have enough energy to get ourselves through our day, let alone a workout. Yet, we have fitness goals we want to reach and it feels impossible to actually make it happen. Does this sound about right for you?
If yes, this episode of Embrace Your Real is for you. I’m about to share 9 ways boost your energy with drinking a gallon coffee that will get you ready to crush your workouts more consistently!
TRANSCRIPT:
Hey there, beautiful human. You're listening to Embrace Your Real with me, Julie Ledbetter, a podcast where I empower you to just be you. With each episode, I dish you a dose of real talk and actionable advice for building your confidence, honoring your body and unconditionally loving your authentic self. Stay tuned if you're ready to embrace your real. Let's get it. Let's go.
Hello and welcome back to another episode of the Embrace Your Real podcast. I am so grateful that you are here spending some time with me today. Many of us don't work out consistently simply due to the fact that we don't have enough energy. We barely have enough energy to get ourselves throughout the day, let alone get a grueling workout in. Yet we still have fitness goals that we want to reach, but it can feel impossible to actually make it happen. Does this sound like you? If so, this episode of Embrace Your Real is for you. I'm going to be sharing nine ways to boost your energy without drinking a gallon of coffee that will get you ready to crush your workouts more consistently.
But before I dive in, I had to share this super sweet review. It comes from browneyedgirl218. She says, "Best podcast ever! I found this podcast in the beginning of pandemic and have been listening every week since. Julie is so real and knowledgeable and makes me feel like I'm chatting with a friend. This podcast has helped me in so many ways in my health and fitness journey. Keep doing what you're doing!"
Thank you so much for this review. I appreciate all of your reviews. If you haven't already scooched over to Apple Podcasts and you are tuning in on Apple Podcast, or you have an Apple device, this is a sign. All I ask from you, my one ask for this podcast is that you leave a review because it helps so much with the growth of this podcast and really reaching more women in hopes of encouraging them to empower them to embrace their real. So all you got to do is open up the podcast app, which is the purple icon on your phone or Apple device, type in Embrace Your Real and make sure you rate and review it. If you aren't already subscribed to the podcast, do that so that the episodes will automatically be downloaded to your phone every Monday and Thursday, so that you can enjoy them on a weekly basis. If you do leave a review, please screenshot it and send it to me in a direct message on Instagram, juliealedbetter, I will personally respond back to you. I love connecting you guys so incredibly much.
Okay. So let's dive into the nine ways to boost your energy without drinking the gallon of coffee. Number one, plan your meals around when you're going to work out. This is really important. You have to know how long you can last after eating a meal before your energy starts to plummet again. And this is something that if you are new you to logging your meals or logging how you feel after meals, this is definitely something to take into consideration. So for me, when I first did this, I would write almost like a food journal on my phone. So I had the note section on my phone and I would say, "After this lunch, I felt really good for about three or four hours." So that way I knew, or "After this snack, I know I'm going to need to eat a larger meal in about two hours." And this just helps me manage my hunger because I don't know about you, but I get hangry and I am not a nice person to be around if I get super hungry, nor can I get a killer workout in if I'm not managing my meals properly.
So this is definitely something I encourage you to take into consideration, especially because it's going to set you up for success by planning your workouts around when you feel most fueled. So for example, if you're doing a morning workout, I know some people can do a morning workout and prefer to do a morning workout fasted. I am not one of those people. And it's really important that you are self aware in that sense. So for me, I at least need to have a protein bar or something substantial, not huge, but something substantial in my stomach that's going to give me fuel to get through my workout. So this is to just, again, going to kind of come with trial and error and being self aware, but definitely going to help you set yourself up for success when you do plan your meals around your workouts.
One piece of advice or one thing that many people ask me about is nutrient timing. And I don't like to get into the nitty gritty of advanced nutrition advice to the mass population, simply because it can get super overwhelming and a lot of people, including myself, it's just not sustainable for me and it makes less than a 5% difference. And I don't think that it's necessary to go into the nitty gritty of nutrient timing, but I do think that it's important for overall, for you to know when and how much to fuel your body around your workouts.
Number two, drink enough water. I don't know about you, but around 3:00 PM I get those afternoon slumps and for so long, I thought that I just needed more caffeine. I needed more coffee or whatever it was. I actually don't personally drink coffee, but I thought that I needed more caffeine and it really wasn't until I realized, "Oh my gosh, I'm not hydrating my body enough." So if that's you, I encourage you to really keep tabs on your hydration with water throughout the day. So prioritizing hydrating yourself throughout the entire day. You can even do this by setting alarms on your phone so that way you are spacing out your hydration. Number one, so you're not peeing all day long or you're not stuck with like a hundred ounces of water to drink at 6:00 PM at night. But two, this is also really going to help when that 3:00 PM afternoon slump hits. Oftentimes it's just a lack of hydration. So I encourage you to, again, keep tabs on that by setting alarms and keeping a note section on your phone.
Number three, Alphamine. So if you follow me on Instagram, you know that I love Alphamine. It's a PEScience product, but personally I love it simply because, like I mentioned earlier, I don't drink coffee. Coffee does not really sit well with me. I actually had a cup of coffee at our breakfast when we were up in Brack a few weeks ago and I was so excited. And then I just realized, man, coffee and I just do not sit well. I feel jittery. I feel anxious. And so it's not something I can regularly drink, but I do personally need caffeine and so this is why I love Alphamine. One scoop of Alphamine has 125 milligrams of caffeine. So PEScience has kind of coined Alphamine as the athlete's energy drink. So it's going to give you sustained energy that's not going to give you those crashes and it's not going to make you feel jittery or anxious.
So I personally drink that one to two times per day. I'll mix it in 18 ounces of water and then I'll use one packet of Crystal Light. So my favorite flavor of Alphamine is the sour green apple and then I do one wild strawberry Crystal Light, which also does have some caffeine. I think it has maybe about 20 milligrams per packet and I take that twice a day. So I'll have that in the morning and then I'll have it in the afternoon. Typically, the one in the afternoon, if I am working out in the afternoon, I'll take it about an half hour before I'm working out and that just helps me again with sustained energy. Find what works for you though in the sense of caffeine.
So some people, they don't even need caffeine. And for those people, more power to you. I think it's amazing. One day I might get there, but right now Alphamine is where it's at for me just because it does give me the right amount of caffeine with not having too much because I am sensitive to caffeine. And if I have too much, I will immediately get headaches and I feel like my body will shut down. So the 125 milligrams per scoop is my happy place.
Number four, figure out what time of day you have the most energy for your workouts and stay consistent with that. So whenever you have the most energy should be when you are working out. So if you know every day when 6:00 PM hits, you hit a wall, I would encourage you to not schedule your workout after 6:00 PM. Or if you know that you're not a morning person and simply waking up in the morning is one of the biggest tasks of the day, don't expect yourself to get out of bed and go straight to a workout. Whatever time of day that is for you, that you feel your best and you feel like you have the most energy, that's typically when you'll be able to stay consistent with it. So it could be on a lunch break. It could be in the morning if you are a morning person or could be late at night, if you're a night person. It's totally up to you. Again, this is a personal preference.
And I always say the consistent workout best workout, because oftentimes people say, "Well, when is it best to work out, in the morning, in the afternoon, at nighttime?" And I say, "Whenever you can stay consistent. That is ultimately what's most important, that you are feeling energized and motivated and you're not constantly fighting it."
Number five, give yourself rest days. If you never have the energy, this is typically a sign of burnout. If you've been crushing your workouts for weeks on end, you need to give yourself a few days where you're honoring your body with movement, but maybe you're not doing a proper workout. So I know for me on a normal week where I am crushing my workouts, Monday through Friday, I typically do one recovery day, which is typically on Saturdays. It totally depends on my schedule, but typically my recovery day is on Saturdays where I'm doing something active, so it could be a hike outside. It could be something that is not my normal workout, but I'm still honoring my body with movement.
And then on Sundays, one day a week is a complete rest day where I'm allowing my body to literally rest. So that's really important for you to give your body that ample amount of rest so that you are not constantly fatiguing your body to the point where it's no longer able to repair, because that is a huge part of seeing results in your health fitness journey, is giving your body that rest. So again, I encourage you to rest because rest ultimately is where the magic happens. Don't skimp on it. I encourage you to prioritize it, embrace it. And remember that rest is just as important as you going hard in your workouts.
Number six, find motivation through having a plan. When we don't feel energized, we likely don't feel motivated. And when we don't feel motivated, it's hard to have a plan, which means in order to feel energized, we likely need to have a plan. If we feel drained and no energy to go work out and also don't have any idea what we're going to do, we're like likely going to make excuses and not get our workout in. I know for me, this is the case because I have my Movement with Julie app, where I literally open up my phone and I have two options. I either have a 30 minute variation, which could be anywhere from 20 minutes to 30 minutes or a full workout, which takes me anywhere from 45 to 55 minutes. It is so plain and simple, video demonstrations for every single movement. But I know for me, if I'm not already motivated, if I'm lacking energy, the fact of me trying to come up with a plan, that's going to be ... and it's like a double whammy, and there's no way I'm going to be able to get my workout in.
So if you're struggling with that, if you're struggling with following a plan, I encourage you to check out my Movement with Julie app. Like I said, five brand new workouts are released every single week, Sunday at 12:00 PM mountain standard time for the next week. So you have upper body, lower body, cardio and core, shoulders and glutes, and full body so that we're making sure that we are training effectively. And it is also efficient and fun. You can check that out by going to the link in the show notes or you can learn more at movementwithjulie.com.
Number seven, get moving. Sometimes the best way to get more energy is to just move. And I know that sounds contradictory to it, but seriously working out has been proven to give people more energy. So I encourage you to use your workout as a way to get more energy in your life. Again, I know it kind of sounds like an oxymoron, but I know for me personally, I always feel so much better when I get my workout in and I will start with a bare minimum. So I will tell myself if I'm not feeling it, if I'm really feeling exhausted, I will tell myself, "Okay, 10 minutes. I'm just going to move my body for 10 minutes." Could be a walk on the treadmill. It could be go downstairs and do a three movement circuit of three different movements. And typically when I do that, when I tell myself 10 minutes, about seven minutes in I'm feeling so good, I'm feeling totally different than I was seven minutes before.
And I tell my self, "Okay, just another 10 minutes." And lo and behold, 20 minutes later, I'm feeling even better. And then I'll tell myself, "Just 10 minutes more. Honor your body with 30 minutes today, it'll be good." And it's in those moments, you guys, I'm telling you, something neurologically happens where I am a completely different person than I was just 30 minutes before walking into my home gym. So again, I encourage you to try to move your body and use that as a source of you gaining more energy because you will be so surprised what will happen. And sometimes it's 10 minutes and I'm like, "Okay, that is great. I'm happy. I'm proud of myself for doing 10 minutes." And I will be done and I'll walk upstairs. Other times though, most of the time, I would say probably nine times out of 10 though, I always shoot for 10 minutes and then 10 minutes and then 10 minutes and then 30 minutes later it is done and I will feel so much better.
Number eight, prioritize sleep and proper nutrition. Oftentimes we're lacking our energy because we aren't sleeping enough and we aren't nourishing our bodies. So if we're constantly feeling tired and we're lacking energy, it's typically a clear sign that you likely need more sleep or you need to better fuel your body. I mean, let's be real, if you're not sleeping enough, it's a no-brainer that you're not going to have enough energy. But also if you're not nourishing your body with the foods or the amount of foods that your body needs, or you're eating foods that are making you feel sluggish, that could also impact your energy as well. So it's really important that you are being aware of that. And again, going back to that food journal, whether it's something that you physically write down or it's on your phone, that will be so helpful in terms of just knowing what foods really make you thrive and how much your body needs to function at its optimum. Figuring out what that is can be a total game changer.
Number nine, take a multivitamin or vitamin B. So some people like to call vitamin B the energy vitamin because it plays an essential chemical reaction in turning food into energy for your body to utilize. Along with vitamin B, your body also uses numerous other vitamins and minerals when working out. So lacking in these can actually make you feel fatigued and not perform to the best of your ability. So if you don't already, I would definitely encourage you to look into a daily multivitamin and B complex. If you're always feeling like you're dragging throughout the day, you might just be battling some vitamin deficiencies, but please always be sure to consult with your doctor before doing so. I just wanted to mention this because for years and years, I didn't take a multivitamin and it wasn't until I got on a vitamin regimen that I started to feel so much better and I started to feel like the vitamin was really helping me, for lack of a better term, make up for the lack of some of the vitamins and minerals that I was not getting from food.
So let me recap those nine things that will help you get more energy for your workouts. Number one, plan your meals around when you're going to workout. Number two, drink enough water. Number three, Alphamine or find some sort of caffeine if you need caffeine that will sustain you without making you feel jittery or anxious. Number four, figure out what time of day you have the most energy for your workouts and stay consistent with it. Number five, give yourself rest days. Number six, find motivation through having a plan. Number seven, get moving. Number eight, prioritize sleep and proper nutrition. And number nine, take a multivitamin or prioritize vitamin B. Again, you don't want to miss out on my Movement with Julie app. If you are needing a plan, you can go ahead and check that out. Go to www.movementwithjulie.com. You'll get five days of fully programmed workouts designed specifically for you so that you can ensure that you are training effectively. There are video demonstrations for every single movement.
Trust me, I know what it feels like to walk into the gym or to go into your workout and not knowing how to perform an exercise, which is why I really prioritized video demos for every movement because I don't want to leave you in the dust. I want you to feel super confident in your workouts and I want you to know exactly what you're doing. I will go ahead and link Movement with Julie in the show notes below, or you can just go to movementwithjulie.com to learn more. I hope that you found this episode helpful. I would love to hear your aha moment. So be sure to screenshot this, post it up on your story, tag me, juliealedbetter. Also, make sure you are following embraceyourreal on Instagram. You don't want to miss out on that page. We give you some of the golden nuggets from each episode in a quote form. So be sure to check out that account. Again, it's embraceyourreal on Instagram. Thank you so much for tuning in and I'll talk you in the next episode.
All right, sister, that's all I got for you today. But I have two things that I need you to do. First thing, if you are not already following me on the Gram, be sure to do so, juliealedbetter. Yes, it's with an A in the middle for that daily post-workout real talk, healthy tips and tricks and honest accountability to keep your mind and heart in check. The second thing, be sure to subscribe to Apple Podcasts to never miss an episode. Thank you so much for joining me. It means the absolute world, and I'm going to leave you with one last thought. The most beautiful women that I have met in my life are the ones who are completely confident and secure in being authentically themselves. Remember that beauty goes so much deeper than the surface. So go out there and embrace your real because you're worth it.