Even if you live to work out, it’s inevitable that from time to time, you’ll end up feeling a little blah about exercising. This is completely normal, and athletes turn to numerous techniques to help them get energized and jazzed up for their daily sweat sesh. A good pre-workout snack can definitely help, but we love to combine healthy, energy-boosting foods with some good aromatherapy. Enter: essential oils.
Essential oils are a natural way to help impact your mood, health and well-being. By focusing on energizing and uplifting scents, you can start off your workout on a positive note that will carry throughout your gym session. Here are four of the best scents to jumpstart your pre workout.
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Orange Oil
You’re probably going to notice that there are a few citrus oils on this list, and for good reason: Citrus has a bright and uplifting scent, and is notorious for putting everyone in a good mood! Orange oil — especially sweet orange oil — is a lovely scent that’s perfect for outdoor workouts, like running or beach yoga. Dab it on your wrists and enjoy its energizing scent mingling with the fresh air.
Lemon Oil
Another citrus scent that is famous for its energetic properties is lemon. In contrast to orange, lemon is slightly less sweet, and therefore a little more tolerable in group fitness classes and other gym activities. We recommend dabbing some lemon oil diffused with water on your temples, and inhaling deeply. Do this about 10 minutes prior to your workout, and you’re bound to be feeling good vibes throughout the entire thing.
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Peppermint Oil
While peppermint oil is calming for some, there’s no doubt that it’s also zingy and energizing. Peppermint is fresh and clean, with a sweet tint that makes it zen-inducing as well. Energizing AND calming? We think that screams yoga! Dab some peppermint oil on your wrists before your yoga practice and enjoy its fresh scent every time you lower into chaturanga.
Thyme
An herbal scent, thyme is green and natural-smelling, making it perfect for outdoor adventures. Thyme is known to relieve stress, and many essential oil devotees claim that it can also help with muscle tightness. While it’s definitely no substitute for a good warm-up and post-workout stretch, it certainly can’t hurt! Sniff some thyme essential oil before hiking, biking or lifting weights to keep your cool throughout your workout.