{"id":1170,"date":"2025-10-30T12:45:28","date_gmt":"2025-10-30T12:45:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lifeuphealthcoaching.com\/blogs\/?p=1170"},"modified":"2026-02-21T05:29:42","modified_gmt":"2026-02-21T05:29:42","slug":"how-can-i-get-more-energy-as-a-busy-parent","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lifeuphealthcoaching.com\/blogs\/how-can-i-get-more-energy-as-a-busy-parent\/","title":{"rendered":"How can I get more energy as a busy parent?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"http:\/\/lifeuphealthcoaching.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/1708-1024x683-1.jpg\" alt=\"LifeUP Health Coaching LLC - Helping parents get healthy through diet, exercise and sleep. Mom falling asleep\" class=\"wp-image-1173\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lifeuphealthcoaching.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/1708-1024x683-1.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/lifeuphealthcoaching.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/1708-1024x683-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/lifeuphealthcoaching.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/1708-1024x683-1-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you\u2019ve ever caught yourself reheating coffee at 4 p.m. and wondering how you\u2019re supposed to cook, help with homework, and <em>not<\/em> collapse on the couch tonight&#8230; I see you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As a dad, a health coach, and a formerly exhausted human being, I\u2019ve had plenty of days where \u201cjust get through it\u201d was the whole game plan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But energy isn\u2019t something you have or don\u2019t have. It\u2019s something you <strong>build<\/strong>, in little moments throughout the day. And no\u2014you don\u2019t need a full night of sleep, a perfect diet, or two hours of gym time to get started.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Here are 4 ways to reclaim your energy, even on the days you feel like a half-charged phone:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>1. Drink water before you caffeinate<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We all wake up dehydrated. Before you reach for coffee, start your day with 8\u201312 oz. of water (bonus points for lemon and a pinch of sea salt). It helps with digestion, brain function, and keeps your energy more stable all morning long.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\ud83d\udca1 <em>Derek\u2019s tip: Keep your lemon water ready on the counter overnight. When your feet hit the floor, your first win\u2019s already waiting.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>2. Balance your blood sugar<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If your breakfast is a bowl of cereal or your lunch is \u201cwhatever your kids didn\u2019t finish,\u201d you\u2019re likely crashing by mid-afternoon.<br>Pair every meal or snack with <strong>protein, fat, and fiber<\/strong> to stay fuller, longer\u2014and avoid the energy roller coaster.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Try:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Apple + peanut butter<br><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Boiled eggs + berries<br><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Smoothie with protein + frozen greens + nut butter<br><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>3. Move\u2014but keep it short<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You don\u2019t need 45 minutes. You need 5\u201310 minutes of <strong>intentional movement<\/strong> to reset your body and mind. It could be a brisk walk, some air squats between meetings, or a mini strength circuit after the kids go down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>\u201cBut Derek, I only have 15 minutes.\u201d<\/em><em><br><\/em> Perfect. That\u2019s enough to change your state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>4. Build a better evening routine (without perfection)<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Scrolling until midnight doesn\u2019t actually help you recover.<br>Try swapping one habit at a time:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>A warm shower instead of screen time<br><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Reading or stretching instead of emails<br><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Going to bed 20 minutes earlier than usual<br><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Small shifts = more restorative sleep = more energy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>\u2705 Bottom line: You don\u2019t need a total life overhaul to feel better.<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Start with water. Add some protein. Move a little. Go to bed before your phone asks you, \u201cStill watching?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It\u2019s not about perfect days. It\u2019s about <strong>repeating small wins<\/strong> until your body remembers what it\u2019s like to feel good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>\u2795 Want help building habits like these?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Our $3 Mini Course, <em>Eat the Apple, Take the Stairs, Hit the Hay<\/em>, gives you quick, doable tools to build more energy\u2014without the overwhelm.<br>[<a href=\"https:\/\/derekopperman-uv.xperiencify.io\/three-day-mini-course\/order\/\">Grab the mini course \u2192<\/a>]<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To your health!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"118\" height=\"150\" src=\"http:\/\/lifeuphealthcoaching.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/image.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1149\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"200\" height=\"64\" src=\"http:\/\/lifeuphealthcoaching.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/image-1.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1150\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Derek Opperman<br>Chief Wellness Officer at LifeUP<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>\u201cI help parents reclaim their energy \u2014 not just physically, but emotionally too. Because when you feel better, everything in your life lights up: your parenting, your patience, your purpose. My approach is about small changes that ripple out into big transformation.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/derekopperman-uv.xperiencify.io\/three-day-mini-course\/order\/\"><strong>Start the MIni-Course<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>If you\u2019ve ever caught yourself reheating coffee at 4 p.m. and wondering how you\u2019re supposed to cook, help with homework, and not collapse on the couch tonight&#8230; I see you. As a dad, a health coach, and a formerly exhausted human being, I\u2019ve had plenty of days where \u201cjust get through it\u201d was the whole [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1173,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1170","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lifeuphealthcoaching.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1170","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lifeuphealthcoaching.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lifeuphealthcoaching.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lifeuphealthcoaching.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lifeuphealthcoaching.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1170"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/lifeuphealthcoaching.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1170\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1292,"href":"https:\/\/lifeuphealthcoaching.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1170\/revisions\/1292"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lifeuphealthcoaching.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1173"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lifeuphealthcoaching.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1170"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lifeuphealthcoaching.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1170"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lifeuphealthcoaching.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1170"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}