Some say that the thirties is the prime of your life. But as soon as you're in your mid-thirties — certainly during your forties and fifties — you might find yourself feeling tired and sluggish more often and wondering how you were ever such a go-getter before. If you want to know how to increase your energy levels, and feel younger, check out these 5 simple lifestyle tips that will help you maintain energy, no matter your age.

1. Get the Right Amount of Sleep

A good night’s sleep is an important step towards feeling your best throughout the day. Getting a healthy amount of sleep is an easy step that increases your energy levels. Sleep not only helps you feel rested and have more energy, but it also improves brain functions like memory, attention, and concentration. If you are lacking in those departments, especially on a particularly straining day, you may find it extremely hard to stay motivated.

Sometimes it can be difficult to know whether you are getting too little or too much sleep, but many professionals will agree that most adults need at least 7 - 9 hours of sleep to feel their best. Getting enough sleep will also help you manage your weight by rebuilding your metabolism and decreasing late-night snacking when you have less opportunity to use the energy you take in from your snack. 

2. Eat Revitalizing Food

If you want to feel younger and have more energy, another important item is diet. The ironic truth is—in order to feel younger, you most likely can’t eat the same way you did when you were a teenager, or even in your 20s. Studies have shown that our metabolism slows by as much as 10 percent every decade after age 20. This means most of us won’t be able to get away with as many snacks and unhealthy diet choices as we used to.

Packing your plate with fruits, vegetables, and other nutrient-rich choices, paired with reasonable portion control will help you maintain energy and feel younger. Consider supplementing a daily vitamin to fill in the gaps you might miss in your usual diet. Keeping your weight, cholesterol levels, and blood pressure within healthy ranges can help you feel energized throughout the day.

3. Stay Active and Get Exercise

As you get older, you may find it harder and harder to find the motivation to exercise. But it's more than just motivation at play, in fact, most athletes tend to peak by their 30s. Our bodies start to lose muscle mass over time as we age, and this will only be accelerated by a lack of physical activity every day. The more you allow yourself to sit, the quicker this decline can happen. Before you know it, activities can become difficult, and even the most mundane tasks can be tiring.

Set goals to exercise, or at least be active every day. While overworking yourself at the gym is surely going to leave you feeling tired and weak afterward, a smart and gradual increase in physical exercise will work wonders for your energy levels. Maintaining a steady exercise routine will help you feel younger by maintaining muscle mass and encouraging your heart to stay healthy and strong as you age.   

4. Cut Out Bad Habits

This can refer to a lot of different things, some of which are already on this list, be it sleeping too much or too little, eating too much candy, or spending too much time on the couch watching TV. This can also refer to habits like drinking excessive amounts of alcohol, smoking, skipping water, or not wearing sunscreen.

Whatever your habits are, take a careful look at yourself and be willing and open to accept that some of your daily routines might be negatively impacting your energy levels. Smoking, for example, can damage your lungs and other organs, leaving you short of breath or not feeling your best, even if you have done well making other changes on this list.

While moderate amounts of alcohol may have positive health benefits, excessive alcohol can come with a price. Most alcohol contains at least 7 calories per single gram, which is as much as a gram of fat. Not only that, recovering from a hangover is often harder as you age because of your body's ability to metabolize alcohol. Cutting back alcohol intake is a great way to feel younger and more energized each day.

5. Stay Hydrated

If there is one easy thing we could all start doing right now to feel better and younger, drinking enough water has to be one of them. Falling short of our body’s daily water needs leads to dehydration, which causes fatigue, headaches, dry and brittle skin, and even a decline in brain function in severe cases. Water may not have calories, but it energizes our bodies by regulating numerous important bodily functions. If these functions taking place in our cells all throughout our bodies are impaired, we are sure to feel the effects of aging more prominently.

If you dislike the taste of water, or just find it hard to stay on top of hydration, consider giving your body an extra boost with Clea’s Elevate Hydration Support. Using the benefits of palm fruit extract, Elevate helps to promote cognitive function, boosts mood, regulates inflammation, and provides antioxidants to help remove toxins, all things that will help you feel younger and more energized.

Healthy Lifestyle Changes Start Today!

If you want to take your personal health to new heights, you can start today. First, commit yourself to it, set achievable goals, and don’t be afraid to ask for help along the way. Clea offers a number of natural supplemental drink mixes, which can help you look and feel younger, maintain energy, and stay hydrated (plus they’re delicious). Clea’s Spark Energy Support is a tasty way to start your day with more energy and improved brain cognition as well!

No matter what your age, current lifestyle, or personal health goals, you can increase your energy levels by following these simple, but life-changing tips. Keep in mind that natural supplements are most effective when supported by a positive lifestyle. There will never be a substitution for staying active, eating right, and avoiding bad habits that negatively hinder your health. Make a goal to follow these tips today so that you can feel younger and have more energy again!

To learn more about how aging can affect your health and appearance, check out our post 4 Tips on How to Take Care of Your Skin in Your 30s.