Walk, Don’t Drink Coffee, For Energy

Everyone knows caffeine is one of the most effective ways to increase your energy throughout the day, right? Well, as it turns out, new studies have repeatedly found that walking for 10-minute to 20-minute intervals throughout the day provide more energy for your body than you previously thought.

When you think of exercise, what do you think of? Probably something along the lines of pain, fatigue, and “Oh, I should really do something today”. However, it turns out exercise is actually a great way to boost your energy, not lower it, throughout the day. When you do as much as walk half a mile, it gets your blood flowing all throughout your body, your heart pumping, and your mind begins to think more, waking up the entire body. All these actions help in generating more insulin and cortisol, two hormones that get the body going and ready for action.

The benefits of exercise extend for what seems like forever, and similarly, so do the harmful effects of drinking caffeine. Simply put, if you drink four cups of caffeinated coffee or more per day, you are running the risk of early death and far more health complications than those who don’t consume caffeine. In addition to this, caffeine has also been found to raise blood pressure, even heightening and ultimately worsening the levels in those who already suffer from hypertension. Yet another harmful effect of caffeine is an increased risk of heart complications, including causing heart attacks in many young men and women.

Now, don’t get me wrong, caffeine certainly does have its place; a small cup in the morning is a great way to quickly stimulate and wake up the body to get ready for a busy day. However, it will be far more beneficial for you in the long-run, both mentally and physically, to wake up twenty minutes early and go for a nice walk in the morning to naturally wake up.

Written by Ali Hyderi