INCREASE YOUR ENERGY! One important aspect of more energy and maintaining your waistline is having access to a wonder drug! Yes, you read that correctly: There’s a wonder drug I’d like to recommend. It’s a drug that will give you a zest for life. It will also help you combat stress.And that wonder drug is….CARDIO! It will make you smarter, faster, happier, and might even make you look years younger. Try the FREE 10-minute cardio routine (above) before your shower, or anytime throughout the day, to pick up your energy. Want to the entire 50-minute routine? Click here. 

When I discovered my passion for running and cardiovascular exercise after losing my parents at a young age, and I realized that simply by jogging I had found a key to battling depression and a feeling of hopelessness, I was amazed at the difference I felt after these runs. Suddenly the clouds seemed to part just a bit. The world, and life in general, seemed brighter and more manageable. It literally felt like a weight had been lifted. I reclaimed the energy I once had, and recognized the traps what were training my energy on a daily basis. 

So let’s talk about what happens when you engage in cardio activities…

Cardio activities –like running, cycling, rowing, using an elliptical, or hiking outdoors – release a whole flood of endorphins and feel-good chemicals into the brain: There’s dopamine, which gives our brain the “reward” signal; and serotonin, which is the happiness hormone. Dopamine and serotonin are designed to make us feel good, and they actually resemble opiates in the way they create a feeling of well-being – and they can even provide a natural sense of pain relief.

That’s because when you do cardio, you activate the same parts of the brain that are involved when you fall in love, or when you listen to music that gives you that “chill” feeling of euphoria. And there’s more: cardio can even battle depression. A study at Duke University found that doing moderate cardio just 3 times a week was just as effective as Zoloft in reducing major depression.

There’s an important relationship between cardio and our chromosomes. And at the center of that relationship is something called telomeres. Telomeres are the bits of DNA found on the tips of our chromosomes. And these little DNA bits are incredibly important; in 2009, several scientists won the Nobel Prize for discovering the true function of telomeres. When we experience physical and mental stress, telomeres start to erode, which kills cells and leads to premature aging, while also damaging our immune systems. So, to break it down for you: Shorter telomeres, bad. Longer telomeres, good.

And as a bonus, cardio will make you feel younger, which gives you more energy!