If you’re stuck on the couch or feeling lethargic, just getting up and moving around can increase your energy. A few minutes of brisk exercise boosts your batteries even more. Don’t believe me? Pick one of these exercises and give it a try:

Toybox sprints

Teach your kids to clean up and exercise, while jump-starting your own batteries at the same time? You bet! Gather all the discarded toys at one end of the room, then race to see who can sprint them to the closet or toy box fastest. (One toy at a time, please!) You decide what the prize is: It can be anything from picking that night’s dinner menu to a hundred million hugs, or even just bragging rights.

Float like a butterfly

Putting on your favorite music and boogying around the house for a few minutes will always amp you up. But if you’re feeling stressed or pressured, you may need a bigger—and literal—punch of energy. Shadowboxing (or shadow-kickboxing) is a great way to de-stress and boost your energy; just square up against an imaginary opponent and let fly. You should, however, respect your range of motion (no need for overhead kicks, unless you’re just that fabulous) and follow one more important safety tip: Never “snap” your joints out to full extension. Instead, stop just short of fully straightening your arms or legs. That way, you’re always in control.

Follow the leader (for the daring crowd)

This is a great one to do outside, but you’ll have to drag friends or family along. The more the merrier, and I guarantee you’ll come back energized and laughing. Here’s how it works:

• Jog (or walk briskly) in single file.
• The last person in line—let’s say that’s you—hustles up to the front of the line. Watch out, the others might make you run for it!
• Once you get to the front of the line, everybody has to follow what you do. It could be a funny walk, cartwheels, a serious exercise like squats, pushups or butt-kicks, or a made-up exercise. (Dance around like a monkey!) The new last person in line hustles to lap you, becoming the new “leader.”

What are your favorite exercise pick-me-ups? Let us know in the comments!