When you’re an adult, you crave that nap that you usually never have time for. We adults are cranky before our morning coffee, or whatever our choice of a morning ‘pick me up’. We need plenty of fuel in order to run around, go to work, take care of house chores, and by 11 pm we dream of the moment when everything will be settled and taken care of, so we can dive into the softness of our beds and get at least some sleep. Kids, on the other hand, seem to run on a mysterious self-producing fuel. Yes, some kids eat very well, but even those who are picky about food and don’t consume as many calories seem to have the energy to run around all day. The inquisitiveness never stops, and neither does jumping from one game or activity.
When you have an active kid who’s a perpetual explorer, how do you keep up? If you’re struggling to maintain the energy levels of your child, we’re here to lend a helping hand with a few great tips, and hopefully, these will work like a charm.
Great work, great payoff
It may sound ludicrous, but exercising will be of immense help in the energy boosting department. Yes, if you have been physically inactive for a very long time, the first few sessions will bring along those unwanted side-effects such as sore muscles and a sense of exhaustion, but once you get through the first week, the payoff is incredible. Not only will you be healthier, as any form of exercise has been scientifically proven to preserve cardiovascular health, but you will have tons of more energy and actually be in a generally better mood. If you don’t have the time to hit the gym, there are plenty of at-home exercise options, such as yoga, squats, pushups, and you can even sneak out for a quick morning jog. The stamina and level of fitness will give you almost everything you need to keep up with your toddler(s) and all their endeavors.
A little help from colorful friends
There are certain foods, mostly fatty foods, which lower our blood pressure and after which we simply crave for a nap. However, if you want to boost your energy levels and not lower them, you simply must turn to a group of food that has popularly been named ‘superfoods’, all due to their high levels of antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and omega-3 fatty acids. Quinoa, for instance, helps get rid of tension and stress, and thanks to the fact that it’s packed with magnesium, making it an integral part of your morning smoothie will give you the amount of energy to last almost all day. There are of course other superfoods, such as fiber-packed blueberries and berries in general, sweet potatoes which are loaded with vitamins A and C – great for keeping fatigue at bay.
Now, what all of us need are the powerful antioxidants. Many superfoods contain them, but there is no such thing as too many antioxidants, so make sure to get them in all shapes and forms. This includes antioxidant-rich foods, but also great supplements such as CoQ10, which aside from free radical-fighting antioxidants contains Q10 coenzyme, which is known to help keep your heart in spick and span shape.
Sleep when they sleep
If your kids still have mandatory nap time, make sure you take a cat-nap whenever they do. However, if you take a long nap, longer than 45 minutes, you might actually wake up feeling more tired than when you threw yourself on the sofa, and even worse, you might even end up messing up your sleep routine. Studies have shown that the most effective and energy-boosting nap time span is anywhere from twenty minutes to half an hour. You’ll be up before your kids are, and ready to continue with every adventure or project they had started before taking their nap.
Snack time
Whenever you feel like your batteries are running low, reach for a bar of dark chocolate. This baby will wake and shake you right up, and it’s a much better and healthier alternative than a cup of coffee, especially since coffee tends to keep you up if you drink it after 5 pm.
If it gets really tough
If during the course of a particularly active day, not even exercise, good food, supplements and snacks won’t do the trick, jump in the shower, but turn the nob to the cold side. A three-minute cold shower will wake you right up, and certain research even suggests that if you make these showers a regular practice, they can be of great help when fighting chronic fatigue.
Before you know it, you’ll be sending your little ones off to college, so it’s only natural that you don’t want to miss out on anything. Therefore, as hard as it can be to emulate the energy of a kid, as you can see, it’s not impossible. The best part is, all these tips will make you a healthier, fitter and more cheerful person in general, so you won’t just be able to keep up with the kids, but be able to bring your focus and A-game to every task you take on.
