by Tony Terranova Fri Aug 15, 2008 7:50 pm
Hi Nick,
There a few replies to your question, I will put a few forward for you to think about.
Energy is one of the most important factors in one being able to succeed in life. You can do very little if you have low mental and physical energy (no matter how many talents we have they have little or no value if there is no fuel in the tank).
One way to charge yourself up with energy is to kick-start your body first thing in the morning with exercise. Exercise is necessary, because it gets the blood moving. Blood carries the oxygen from the lungs, and all the digested foods we have eaten, to the tissues. Without oxygen and correct diet (nourishing sugars, proteins and fats etc), our organs will not work (they die). Often when we are tired it is actually our blood flow slowing down, and example is when you sit at your computer all day, you feel tired. You are not really physically tired – you just need to get moving. Einstein said “nothing happens until you move” – that for me is a very powerful statement.
The morning is one of the most important times of the day for fueling up the body. You should start to charge your body with energy right from the moment you start to wake up. I know it is hard to do (it requires discipline). I do it every day even when I am traveling when I have to deal with lack of sleep, new time zones, changes in diet and temperatures etc. It keeps me going.
Try this for a few weeks (everyday) and see how you feel:
As you awake (whilst you are still in bed) tense your entire body starting from your feet working up to you head, breathe in while you tense and then breathe out when you relax. Do this 3 to 5 times and it will increase your blood pressure before you get up as our blood pressure drops during sleep.
As soon as you get up have a pint glass of good quality water (PH level above 7.8 to help keep your body alkaline as an acidic body feels tired). Then boil some water and have a cup with half a fresh lemon squeezed in it and a big spoon of organic honey. This cleans out the liver so you are also working from inside out and the honey gives you a shot of energy.
Then begin to gently stretch and deep breath using your abdomen to breathe and not your chest for only about 2 or 3 minutes (just get moving). The stretching will start to help regulate your nervous system to get the muscles to lengthen as they will have tightened over night. Then use the slap-your-body system I have already given you which will stimulate your nervous system.
Then fully rotate your arms backwards and then forwards for at least 10 times (20 is better). Then proceed to get the big muscle groups going and do 1 set of Hindu squats (try to do at least 50, but 100 is the minimum ideal and the more the better). This really starts to get the blood pumping. The Indian wrestlers used to do 2500 of these a day (and more) at 5.00am before training started.
Then do Hindu push ups (try to do at least 15, but 40 is the minimum ideal and the more the better). Keep breathing deep and nice and slow. This will open up your back and hips – it gets your arms and chest and shoulders working - and it gets the heart pounding even more. The Indian wrestlers also used to do 1000 of these a day (and more) at 5.00am before training started.
Then do sit ups (as many as you can) as doing sit ups in the morning will help your digestive system ensuring that you go to the toilet regular (which is also important for high energy levels).
Finish off with some dynamic stretches, just lift you’re left and then right legs forward as high as you can – try and start with 8 reps on each leg dynamically.
You should plan for all this to take you no more than 20 minutes and initially 10 minutes is OK. If you then level out to a 15 minute routing every day it will be easy to keep to it as anyone can find 15 minutes every day to make their life’s better.
Once you get this working you can add a short run say 3 miles or a short walk that will further increase your energy.
Other points to think about are passions and goals. If you have clearly defined goals with dates for achieving those goals based on things you are passionate about then you will have more mental energy and drive. However if you hate your job and it is boring then that will deplete your energy reserves. There is an old saying “chase your passion not your pension and your passion will take care of your pension”.
Stay around positive and energetic people as that will energize you. If you spent time with folks who are negative, or folks who have had a charisma by-pass operation then that will also deplete your energy reserves.
Try not to sleep too much as getting more sleep sometimes makes you more tired. Stick to a healthy schedule of exercise, good diet and proper mental food. Talk/listen to the right people and read good stuff – don’t watch crap TV it hypnotises you as it is passive. Get some good motivational CD’s, stick them in your IPOD and go for a walk listening to your favourite mentors.
Avoid greasy foods, smoking, alcohol, too much sugar and salt, too much coffee (drink 2 cups a day maximum), too much starch, as all of these will make you tired as soon as the stimulant wears off (which is fairly quick). Keep your water intake high all day and eat lots of regular small meals not just a few big meals. Never miss out on a good breakfast; it is the most important meal of the day.
I can give you stories of my travelling in which I had to decide for periods of days whether to sleep 3 hours or sleep 2 hours and train for 1 hour due to tough global travel schedules – I always chose to sleep less and train - and I kept going when other guys were falling asleep during the day (And was the oldest one in the group!).
Hope this helps and as always it is good to hear from you.
Regards,
Tony. T
