It’s summer, which means it’s harder to get the energy to get up and work every day. We get it — the sun is shining outside, the sky is blue, and it’s hot. No one wants to work when they could be outside or relaxing in a pool, but it’s more than that. It’s the middle of the year and we’re all feeling a little fatigued. Thankfully, there are remedies for fatigue that do a little more for your body than your daily cup of coffee or tea.
Vitamin B12 Boosts Energy and Improves Mood
Vitamin B12 is a powerhouse: it can fortify your bones, boost your mood, give you energy, and more.
First, let’s talk about its energizing properties. A common cause of fatigue stems from B-12 deficiency, which is a common problem especially among older people. The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey estimated that 3.2% of adults over age 50 have a seriously low B12 level, and up to 20% may have a borderline vitamin B12 deficiency.
Therefore, simply taking vitamin B12 can combat the symptoms of a deficiency, including fatigue!
On its own, it’s one of eight B vitamins that help the body convert the food you eat into glucose, which gives you energy.
Mood Boosting Properties
Another perk of B12 is that it can improve your mood and help fight depression. While this may not seem like it will have an effect on your energy, consider this: depression is known for impacting sleep. People with depression often sleep too much or too little, which results in feelings of exhaustion.
B12 can reduce symptoms of depression because it plays a vital role in synthesizing and metabolizing serotonin. Serotonin is the chemical responsible for regulating mood. It’s most commonly known as the “feel good” hormone that causes happiness.
This study that helped people with depression and low vitamin B12 levels. One group received antidepressants while the other received both antidepressants and vitamin B12. The group that was given B12 showed fewer depressive symptoms than those who were only treated with antidepressants
Because both depression and a deficiency in B12 can cause lower serotonin levels. Raising your B12 levels back to normal can help you feel better, happier, and more energized.
Exercise Helps Boost Your Energy
Exercising isn’t everyone’s favorite activity, but even 15 minutes of moving can help improve your energy levels. Exercising causes your body to release epinephrine and norepinephrine. They are hormones that help reduce stress and, if released in modest amounts, can make you feel energized.
What exercise is the best for boosting your energy? Well, that really depends on what you enjoy doing. It’s not going to improve your mood and help if you don’t enjoy doing it, as your brain will view it more as a chore. It can be anything from weightlifting, to dancing. If you prefer something less intensive, try walking for 15 minutes or playing a sport you enjoy.
Add in some of your favorite tunes to help immerse yourself in the experience and enjoy moving.
Getting active almost guarantees that you’ll sleep more soundly. It’s not only good at burning fat and building muscle, it also gives your cells more energy to burn and helps circulate oxygen throughout your body.
Start with a small amount of exercise and gradually build it up until you reach the recommended goal of 2.5 hours of moderate-intensity exercise every week.
Exercise Also Helps Fight Depression
Did you know that lower-intensity exercise, such as yoga, has shown benefits when it comes to mood? A 2016 study in the journal Depression and Anxiety found that six weeks of yoga, in addition to standard treatment for depression, further reduced the symptoms of depression, as compared to those who only received standard treatment.
Yoga has a calming effect on the body that helps open airways and release tension from muscles. These two things combined play a critical role in the reduction of stress, as it naturally helps you feel more relaxed.
Beyond yoga, general physical activity was also associated with lower levels of depression in a 2016 study published in Frontiers in Psychology.
Fight Fatigue By Staying Hydrated
Like exercise, staying hydrated does wonderful things for your body. It’s the key element of your health! It also plays a direct role in your energy level — one of the first noticeable signs of dehydration is fatigue!
We get it — drinking enough water all the time is difficult. We all get busy and time gets away from us. But that doesn’t diminish the importance of staying hydrated.
Dehydration impacts your quality of sleep. When you’re asleep, your body restores chemical balances, heals and recovers. Being dehydrated actively affects how your body restores and heals itself when you’re asleep. This can negatively affect your mood when you wake up!
But chugging glass upon glass of water before bed can harm you! Too much water in your system can be fatal, which is why it’s important to spread out your intake throughout the day.
If you know you have a particularly busy day ahead or want to prepare your body for it, try IV Hydration Therapy through IV Revival. Our registered nurses will come to you and get you set up with everything you need, from electrolytes to energy boosting vitamins, we’ve got you covered. Contact us today for more information or to request an appointment to feel more energized, hydrated, and alert.