How to get more energy after work: don't spend another sleepy evening on the couch. Revive after work with these easy tips - Health Quiz

1. Which of the following practices can help you sustain your energy throughout the day?

A. eating frequently

B. exercising

C. meditating

D. all of the above

2. Which of the following snacks will give you the quickest jolt of energy after work?

A. an apple

B. a banana

C. dried apricots

D. dried dates

3. If you're going out for the evening, you should take a hot shower to increase your energy.

A. true

B. false

4. Which of the following is most likely to induce an "afternoon slump"?

A. changing hormone levels

B. poor digestion

C. not breathing properly

D. poor circulation

5. Drinking a cup of coffee after work will give you more energy.

A. true

B. false

6. Which of these sleep schedules will help you stay alert all day, according to Ayurveda, the Indian system of medicine?

A. between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m.

B. between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m.

C. between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m.

D. between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m.

7. Which of the following types of music will give you the most energy during a workout?

A. slow songs

B. fast songs

C. slow songs followed by fast songs

D. fast songs followed by slow songs

8. What time of day should you take a nap if you want to have extra energy in the evening?

A. between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.

B. between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m.

C. between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m.

D. after 5 p.m.

Answers

1. D. Frequent eating, regular exercise, and meditation all sustain energy. Eating small meals more than three times a day prevents your blood sugar level from crashing. Low blood sugar leads to low energy. Thirty minutes of moderate exercise increases the production of beta-endorphins, feel-good brain chemicals that can keep you feeling energized. And meditating, even for just 10 to 20 minutes a day, counters the energy-sapping effects of stress. 2. D. Eat dried dates if you want a quick jolt of energy after work. Snacks that provide the quickest boost of energy rank high on the glycemic index (GI), which measures how much a food raises your blood sugar. Dried dates have a GI of 103, while bananas, apples, and dried apricots have scores of 55, 38, and 31, respectively. However, be prepared for a potential crash when your blood sugar level drops again. 3. B. For the most energizing shower, alternate between hot and cold water (one minute each), ending with cold water. Alternating the temperatures increases circulation by drawing your blood to your skin's surface and then sending it to your vital organs. 4. A. Changing hormone levels are the most likely cause of an "afternoon slump." Midafternoon fatigue occurs when insulin, a hormone that regulates your blood sugar level, naturally begins to rise, causing your blood sugar to drop. A low blood sugar level makes you feel tired. At the first sign of a slump, eat a low- or medium-glycemic food (see answer 2 for snack suggestions), which will slowly increase your blood sugar. 5. A. It's true that drinking a cup of coffee will temporarily increase your level of energy. Studies have shown that caffeine does make you more alert. Not surprisingly, research has also shown that getting the proper amount of sleep--eight hours a night--works better and longer than a cup of coffee to make you feel more alert. 6. A. Eight hours of sleep a night is the standard recommendation from most experts for good rest. But which eight hours you sleep is also important, according to Ayurvedic medicine principles. Because your body naturally needs to slow down and repair itself during the hours between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m., sleeping during these hours allows your body to do this, which in turn gives you more energy. 7. c. Listening to songs with increasingly faster tempos can energize your workout. One study found that athletes who began their workouts listening to songs with a slow beat and then switched to songs with progressively faster rhythms outperformed those athletes who listened to either fast, slow, or fast followed by slow songs. The study was published in the Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness in late 1999. 8. B. Schedule your nap between the hours of 1 and 4 p.m., the daytime hours when your body naturally slows down, says Camille Anthony, co-founder of the Napping Company, a Reading, Mass.-based company that runs corporate napping workshops. Even just a 10- to 30-minute nap will energize you for several hours. If you work full time, nap during hours your employer allots for breaks.

Quick Tips

1. Take a brisk 10-minute walk to perk up after work.

2. Practice yogic breathing for a quick energy jolt. Sit up straight, close your eyes, and inhale gently through your nose. Then exhale forcefully through your nose by quickly drawing your stomach in. Repeat 10 times.

3. Drink an energizing cup of tea. East Barre, Vt.-based herbalist Rosemary Gladstar recommends simmering 4 to 8 tablespoons of fresh ginseng (Panax ginseng or Eleutherococcus senticosus) in 1 quart of water over low heat for 20 to 45 minutes. Strain and refrigerate in a tightly sealed glass jar. Or buy ginseng tea bags (available in natural food stores).

COPYRIGHT 2002 Weider Publications
COPYRIGHT 2002 Gale Group