25 Easy Instant Energy Boosters

Do Interval Exercise in the Morning

“Researchers at Leeds Metropolitan University, in England, found that exercising before or during lunchtime leads to a more productive workday,” says Karas. But don’t spend 45 long minutes on the treadmill at one consistent pace. Bowden notes that alternating bursts of rapid activity, like running, with slower activity, like walking, over the course of about a half hour is a more energizing way to work out than endurance-focused exercise. Finally, in addition to your regular workout, one-minute sets of jumping jacks throughout the day will get your blood flowing.

Show Your Hands Some Love

“Take a golf ball and roll it between your desktop and your hand, from the base of the thumb, where your hand webs out, down to the wrist,” says Kevin Kunz, a coauthor of Complete Reflexology for Life ($19, amazon.com). “There’s a really sensitive spot there. Stimulating it will perk you up,” says Kunz.

Sit Up Straight

Another thing Mom was right about: “Poor posture puts uneven pressure on your spine and causes some muscles to work extra hard, which makes them tight and tense and so they use up extra energy,” says Janice Novak, author of Posture, Get It Straight! ($17, amazon.com). Realign your spine by simply lifting your rib cage away from the top of your hips.

Oil the Squeaky Lock

“Think of all the little things that really bother you, like that loose doorknob that you have to fuss with every single day,” says feng shui consultant Catherine Brophy (thefengshuidetective.com). “These things take energy from you that you could expend on something else.” So glue the broken frame, throw out the dead plant, move the chair you always bump into, and you’ll never again waste energy on groaning about them.