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How to Boost Your Physical and Mental Energy

Boost your sense of vitality by learning simple strategies and practical exercises that will help you make the most of your energy.
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How to Boost Your Physical and Mental Energy

Trailer

Facing the Day with Energy

01: Facing the Day with Energy

What is energy and where does it come from? Start your course by thinking about the emotional and physical inputs-from good self-care to living a purpose-driven life-that contribute to vitality. Then try your first exercise to become more aware of your body and the signals it is sending you....

32 min
Sleep: Your Energy 401(k)

02: Sleep: Your Energy 401(k)

Find out why sleep matters so much to your well-being. Research shows that regular sleep provides a range of benefits from better cognitive performance throughout the day to lower risk of disease over your lifetime. Reflect on the barriers to good sleep as well as a few things you can do to improve your sleep....

30 min
Boost Your Energy with Breath

03: Boost Your Energy with Breath

Your energy level is deeply linked to your breathing, so becoming more aware of how you breathe-and performing a few simple exercises-can truly change the way you feel in your day-to-day life. Here, learn by doing as Dr. Bonura takes you through five breathing exercises to help you regulate your energy....

32 min
Energy Give-and-Take at Work

04: Energy Give-and-Take at Work

Most people spend so much time at work that how you feel about your job likely has a significant effect on your overall energy. Consider a few ways to improve your engagement with work, beginning with the establishment of boundaries to protect your personal life and maintain your general well-being....

29 min
Energy Give-and-Take in Relationships

05: Energy Give-and-Take in Relationships

Good relationships are one of the strongest ways to promote good health and reduce stress. Find out several strategies for building a strong social network as well as ways to deal with challenges that inevitably arise in your closest relationships, including marriage and parenthood. Learn a few exercises to relieve stress....

33 min
Awareness of Energy with Mindfulness

06: Awareness of Energy with Mindfulness

Mindfulness-living in the present moment-can have a dramatic impact on your energy levels and how you feel about the world around you. Dr. Bonura helps you increase your sense of inner awareness with a series of breathing and meditation exercises. Discover where you spend your energy-and where your energy is lacking....

30 min
Conserving Energy with Deliberate Choice

07: Conserving Energy with Deliberate Choice

Your life is filled with choices-what to buy, where to spend time, what to do from one moment to the next-but making so many decisions requires massive amounts of energy. Here, you'll find out how to simplify the process of decision-making and how to build a richer, more satisfying life....

29 min
Nurturing Your Energy with Diet

08: Nurturing Your Energy with Diet

Gain new insight into the relationship between food and energy. The good news here is that counting calories and obsessing over dietary numbers might actually be counter-productive to good health. Instead, learn how to be mindful and follow a few sensible guidelines. The lecture ends with a powerful lesson on restorative yoga....

34 min
Boost Your Energy with Happiness and Play

09: Boost Your Energy with Happiness and Play

George Bernard Shaw once said, "We don't stop playing because we grow old. We grow old because we stop playing." In this lecture, Dr. Bonura explores the connection between play and energy. See how to add more fun in your life-and why physical play is such a profound source of vitality....

32 min
Energy, Emotion, and Loving-Kindness

10: Energy, Emotion, and Loving-Kindness

Stress. Anger. Anxiety. Too often people try to repress or medicate away emotions, which treats the symptom but does nothing for the root problem that's draining life-sustaining energy. Instead, Dr. Bonura shows you a strategy for managing negative emotions into positive energy, as well as a loving-kindness meditation to build compassion for yourself and others....

32 min
Your Energy Baseline

11: Your Energy Baseline

There are no quick fixes for living a more energetic life, but there are a few tactics-from chewing peppermint gum to performing acupressure-that will help you boost your energy levels in the short term. At the same time, it's important to reflect on your life circumstances to lift your long-term energy baseline....

34 min
The Energetic Life You Choose

12: The Energetic Life You Choose

In this final lecture, review key concepts from what you've learned to build a personal action plan for living a more energetic life. As Dr. Bonura explains, an energetic life is a purposeful life, so think about your life's purpose and what success means to you. Then work to create time to relax and restore your mental energy....

34 min

Overview Course No. 1931

Wouldn't it be great if you could wake up every morning full of life and enthusiasm for a new day? Most of us no doubt feel energetic some of the time, but the stressors and responsibilities of life inevitably take their toll, leaving us feeling worn out. But what if you could find an unending reserve of energy?

When physicists talk about human energy, they talk about calories and joules, but most of us simply want to feel good. There is a science behind that ineffable sense of vitality. While energy is a limited resource within the body, there are things you can do to help you conserve the energy you have and tap into hidden energy reserves. There are no shortcuts to an energetic life — no miracle tonic or 10 "superfoods" you must eat every day. But like weeding a garden can help optimal growth of plants, daily self-care can help you maximize your energy.

These 12 accessible lectures provide a toolkit for a more energetic you, offering a step-by-step curriculum for tapping into those hidden wells of energy and injecting your life with a jolt of vitality — that joie de vivre we all wish we had. Dr. Bonura shows you the latest research on everything from sleep to mindfulness to the importance of play and emotional well-being. Master a series of practical exercises that can make a profound difference in how you feel throughout the day, and learn how to make a personalized blueprint for long-term success.

  • Perform breathing exercises and meditations to recharge your batteries at any time during the day.
  • Adjust your diet and sleeping habits to fuel your body more efficiently.
  • Re-allocate wasted energy toward higher priorities, such as your family and friends.
  • Find purpose in your work and relationships to boost your energy for the long run.

Discover how a few simple strategies can mean the difference between guzzling coffee while slouched over the breakfast table and walking out the front door with a spring in your step!

About

Kimberlee Bethany Bonura

Fitness at any age is built on a solid foundation of self-care, including sufficient sleep, stress management, and a healthy diet; supportive and nurturing relationships; and an exercise program that you actually enjoy.

INSTITUTION

Fitness and Wellness Consultant

Dr. Kimberlee Bethany Bonura is a fitness and wellness consultant with decades of experience teaching the benefits of physical and mental health to elite athletes, higher education institutions, nonprofit community organizations, and corporations. She earned her Ph.D. in Educational Psychology, with a research emphasis in sport and exercise psychology, from Florida State University. Her doctoral dissertation won national awards from the American Psychological Association (Division 47) and the Association for Applied Sport Psychology. Dr. Bonura is a triple-certified yoga instructor, registered with the Yoga Alliance and a member of the International Association of Yoga Therapists. She also holds certifications as a personal trainer, group fitness instructor, kickboxing instructor, tai chi and qigong instructor, senior fitness specialist, weight management instructor, and prenatal and youth fitness specialist-all issued by the Aerobics and Fitness Association of America and the International Fitness Professionals Association. She has developed specialized programs in seated/chair yoga for older adults; yoga for empowerment to encourage self-esteem; partner yoga for family and marital enhancement; and more. Featured widely in national and international publications, Dr. Bonura is a peer reviewer for journals including the Journal of Aging and Physical Activity, and the Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology.

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