Dealing With Fatigue

How many of you get tired regularly? You wake up, you work hard all day, you aren’t a big partier, you eat well, and every now and then you get a normal 7-8 hours of sleep. Yet, despite possibly living a clean life, you feel fatigued. Fatigue is a lack of energy and motivation.

There are many of us who go through bouts of fatigue. The worst part about fatigue is that if it is not dealt with it can easily turn in to depression.

Don’t mistake fatigue for just being tired. Sometimes we will just say we are tired and not understand some of the symptoms of fatigue which are: weakness, lack of energy, tiredness, and exhaustion. In addition, fatigue may affect certain body parts: particular muscles, joints and even the mind. Fatigue affects a person’s ability to think, and its unrelenting presence can cause emotions to change quickly.

Below are a few ways to fight fatigue.

Exercise Regularly

Moderate and consistent sessions of aerobic exercise, 3 or 4 times a week for 30 to 45 minutes, will help increase your energy level. Overdoing exercise is counter-productive to your goal of increased energy and decreased fatigue. Keep it at a moderate level. Discuss a moderate exercise program with your doctor or physical therapist to ensure you are on the right track.

Eat Breakfast Regularly

Your mother likely harped on this when you were a small child. Guess what -- Mom was right. When you first wake up, your blood sugar is low. Eating a proper breakfast can serve as an energy booster. Skipping breakfast drains your energy, contributing to the fatigue problem. It's important to eat nutritiously at every meal, but focus on breakfast to start your day off right.

Drink a Sufficient Amount of Water

Dehydration can cause a person to feel very tired or fatigued. Drinking 8 glasses of water each day should become part of your routine. It seems like such a simple thing, but hydration must be taken seriously.

Develop Good Sleep Habits

There are well-known sleep tips, and you should follow them -- go to bed at the same time each night, get up at the same time each day, establish a ritual so that your body will recognize it's time to sleep (i.e., warm bath before bed, read before bed). If you still have trouble falling or staying asleep, you may wish to discuss sleep medications with your doctor.

Protect Your Joints

Joint protection can reduce stress on arthritic joints and decrease pain. There are several joint protection principles which, if followed, will help to conserve energy. Use adaptive equipment to protect joints too. Good body mechanics can also help decrease fatigue.

Allow UBT Studio to be a part of your health and wellness to achieve your fitness goals. Our fitness classes are designed to shape your body and assist you in achieving your fitness goals.