You ever heard of those people who claim to feel refreshed and energized after a morning workout? Most of us do not enjoy this experience. Instead, we feel tired, sometimes to the point of exhaustion after vigorous exercise.
Feeling tired is healthy, as a high amount of energy has just been expended. So, be kind to yourself as it takes time for your body to recover. Below we are going to discuss six tips you can use to reduce your level of exhaustion and improve faster after a workout.
Let’s get started on finding out how sleep can impact everything from your physical and mental health to your overall happiness.
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- Sleep
If you aren’t getting enough rest, you are probably already feeling quite tired just reading this article. Even a moderate workout for just a few minutes can leave you feeling exhausted. Make sure that you get a good night’s sleep before exercise so that you can start refreshed and energized and reduce the draining effects of the workout session.
The average adult over 18 should get about eight hours of unbroken sleep a night. However, the latest research shows that this duration decreases as we age. Think about how much sleep a baby needs, and toddlers commonly sleep for 12 hours a night with another hour or two during the day. Children only need about ten hours. Adults may require between 6 and 8 hours of sleep to feel energized when they wake the next day.
Keep a sleep journal to figure out just how much sleep is optimal for you so that even the most strenuous activity won’t leave you feeling drained for the rest of the day.
- Hydrate
Tiredness and muscle weakness is one of the first signs of dehydration. Lost water from the body through sweat that is required to regulate body temperature. The increase in temperature during exercise results in more sweat and, therefore, more significant water loss. No wonder it is so vital to stay well hydrated during exercise.
Drink two to three glasses of water over three hours before your workout. Drinking water will give the body a head start to reserve water to sweat out during the workout. Drink another glass of water while warming up and then another glass for every 20 minutes of exercise, lastly, down one more glass of water about 30 minutes after working out. One glass of water is eight ounces or about 240 ml.
- Essential Minerals
Precious water that is dripping out of your pores makes you lose essential nutrients like magnesium, calcium, and potassium. A deficiency results in tiredness, muscle weakness, and cramps. The good news is that water contains all these essential nutrients. Staying well hydrated throughout a workout will help replace some of those lost minerals. If you suffer from significant exhaustion after a workout, become shaky or experience cramping muscles, try taking a daily calcium and magnesium supplement. It has worked wonders for me!
- General Nutrition
A healthy balanced diet provides for all the nutritional needs of your body. All three-food groups required include protein, carbohydrates, and fats. Protein is necessary. It helps to build strong muscles, repair tissue and for a whole host of other critical bodily functions.
Carbohydrates provide your primary source of energy requirements. And fats aid in just about every function in the human body. A high protein diet can help prevent muscle fatigue after exercise. Complex carbs that release slowly into the body are preferable to beat exhaustion after a workout.
Vegetables and fruit are good sources of healthy fiber and carbs. Unprocessed meats are a good source of protein as well as iron and calcium. Dairy products (of the unprocessed variety) and eggs are also good sources of protein. Raw nuts and seeds provide protein and healthy fats.
- Avoid Energy Drinks
Energy drinks are packed full of ingredients that provide a boost during a workout. However, more often than not, the main ingredient is sugar. It is sugar that provides you with extra energy to get you through your routine.
Sugar is a simple carbohydrate.
This carbohydrate is absorbed quickly into the bloodstream and broken down into glucose, which is energy. But just as soon as it gives that much-needed boost to get going, it can cause a crash after a workout.
This also goes for other stimulants like caffeine, which is another main ingredient in energy drinks. Your best bet is to drink water during a workout to stay hydrated and replenish lost essential minerals. An energy drink that contains glucose and those essential minerals are better than ones that contain only sugar and caffeine.
- Workout Intensity
You may be feeling exhausted after a workout simply because you are overdoing it. While it is essential to push your body and challenge yourself during a workout, burnout will only do more harm than good.
So, what is recommended?
It is much better to do moderate exercise for a more extended period than to do high-intensity workouts for short periods.
High-intensity interval training is very beneficial for weight loss, toning, and general fitness and well-being. The program involves performing a set of specific exercises for a short time and then taking a break before performing the next set of training exercises. It also provides breaks between exercise days.
Quite frankly, it boils down to how quickly you recover after a workout. The quicker you recover, the fitter you are, and the less likely you are to feel exhausted. Measure your resting pulse rate before a workout.
After the workout, measure your pulse rate every few seconds to determine how long it takes to return to normal (the resting pulse rate before exercise). Measuring your pulse rate will help you determine how fit you are, if you are exercising too strenuously or whether you should be performing at a much higher intensity level.
If you are only doing moderate exercise and still feeling flat, it probably comes down to diet, nutrition, and hydration. However, it may be useful to consult a doctor if you are eating healthy, staying hydrated, and not overdoing your workout but still feeling exhausted. The exhaustion could be due to an underlying health condition.
This article was written by Sherry L. Harris