8 Weeks to More Energy! (Part One)

by Michelle Cederberg, Health and Productivity Expert

One small change every week for 8 weeks can help you have more energy!

What if you could make one health and wellness change every week for 8 weeks? Do you think you’d have more energy by the end of it?

Having researched and written my book, Energy Now! Small Steps to an Energetic Life, I know first-hand the benefits that small steps can make toward great gains in health and wellness, so I know the answer is YES!

Try one tip every week for the next 8 weeks and experience an influx of energy now!

Week 1: Move More Every Day

I am a Health and Fitness Expert and everyday exercise enthusiast, so it shouldn’t surprise you that my first week’s impact effort involves moving more.

If you’re currently active then use this first week to try something new or step up the intensity in what you’re already doing. If you’re currently inactive or working your way up, just know that small daily efforts at physical activity will make a big impact on your health and energy.

Take Action: Your goal is to consistently do more than what is normal for you. Walk for 10 minutes every day. Take the stairs whenever you have the option.

If you’re a cardio junkie then introduce a weight routine this week. If all you do is yoga, try a different variety or do something completely different. If you always run or walk the same route choose a new one this week. Add in hills and stairs.

Week 2: Eat Healthier Most of the Time

As you complete each week of the Impact 8 challenge, do your best to keep with the changes as you introduce each subsequent energizer. In week two take a closer look at how you’re fueling your body.

I’m a lover of cheeseburgers and red wine so you know I won’t ask you to go to extremes here, but bite-sized changes with your eating habits matter. Pay attention to small changes you can make every day to move toward healthy eating most of the time.

Take Action: When you load your plate, down-size your portions just a bit. Order a smaller size than your usual.

When you finish consuming, pay attention to your hunger. Chances are you’ve had enough.

Read labels and get educated on reasonable serving sizes. Just because you bought the package doesn’t mean you need to eat the whole thing.

Pack healthy snacks – especially when you’re on the go. Identify your biggest calorie-busters and consume a little less of them.

Amp up your veggie and fruit intake by building creative salads. Eliminate sugary beverages.

Week 3: Make Hydration a Habit

Proper hydration leads to ultimate energy. Your body’s cells are made up of 50-60% water, so if you don’t drink enough of it you’ll have lower energy, less mental alertness and poor memory.

A good goal for this Impact 8 is 8×8. 8 glasses of 8 ounces of good old H₂O. If you want ways to make water consumption easier try the tips below.

Take Action: Freeze bits of peeled lemon, lime and orange and use them in place of ice cubes – it’s refreshing and it helps you increase fruit consumption. While at work, fill a big glass with ice and keep filling it up from the office water cooler.

Get a glass you love. My water mug says ‘Today is the Start of a New Journey,’ and I’m inspired to sip from it every time I look at it.

Week 4: Prioritize Zzzzzz’s Please

How can you expect to conquer the world if you’re tired all the time? Unfortunately, it seems sleep has become a luxury that we fit in when we have time, but sleep is when your body recovers from the stress of the day. If you get more of it or improve the quality of it your energy will soar.

This week make quality sleep your #1 priority. Start by getting to bed 30-60 minutes earlier this week, and take action with your pre-sleep routine and your sleep environment.

Take Action: Create a pre-sleep routine that relaxes you and prepares your body for slumber. Minimize high-intensity TV or work related emails at least an hour before bed.

Dim the lights, have a cup of hot tea or a warm bath, read, or stretch a little 30 minutes before bed. Create a healthy sleep environment by making sure your room is cool, dark, dust and TV free.

Also, be sure you have a pillow that is comfortable and suits your sleep style. If noise is an issue, try earplugs or a white-noise machine.

Stay tuned for Part Two of 8 Weeks to Energy, which will detail the steps you’ll need to take in Weeks 5 through 8. Best of Luck, and see you soon!

(published January 8, 2013)

Michelle Cederberg is a Certified Speaking Professional, Co-Active Life Coach, Health Expert and Author. With a Masters in Kinesiology, a BA in Psychology, and a specialization in Health and Exercise Psychology, Michelle combines mind, body, and practicality to inspire change! She speaks with humour and passion, and encourages her audiences to put their own health and well being back on their priority lists with a small steps approach that leaves them believing they can. These energy tips are excerpted from her new book, Energy Now! Small Steps to an Energetic Life. Learn more at www.worklifeenergy.com.