Tiredness after exercise is to be expected. There’s even an argument that if you’re not tired after exercise, you’re probably not exercising hard enough. You have to be able to push your body, feel the burn, and then move past it– this is the only way that you can realistically improve your fitness. Of course, with all that energy being expended, feeling tired in the aftermath of a workout is surely normal?
It is– but some women experience excessive tiredness. What’s the difference? It’s tough to define. If you find yourself unable to carry on with your usual activities after working out, then this may be a sign of a problem. You shouldn’t need to nap after exercise, or feel like you’re going through the day in a haze of exhaustion.
If any of the above sounds familiar, then you need to investigate the cause to ensure that you’re getting the most from your fitness routine. Let’s examine the most common reasons that women experience excessive tiredness after exercise– and what you can do to fight back.
#1 – Poor Electrolyte Consumption
When we work out, we sweat– it’s not a particularly pleasant thing to talk about, but it is pertinent to the topic at hand. Contained in the sweat we expend are electrolytes, minerals like potassium and magnesium– and when we sweat them out, we deplete our supply.
If you don’t make the conscious effort to up your electrolyte consumption while working out, then this could easily result in excessive tiredness after exercise. You don’t need fancy, expensive, and often sugar-loaded energy drinks to resolve the issue; simple ionic magnesium and potassium will have you back to your normal self.
#2 – You’re Not Absorbing Nutrients Correctly
We all know that food is fuel, but what if there’s a kink in the supply line? If you eat a healthy diet, you should be rewarded with plenty of energy to see you through strenuous exercise– but that’s only if you’re absorbing all those wonderful nutrients.
To find out if you’re getting the most from your diet, you might want to consider blood testing for athletes that can identify any issues with malabsorption. If you find there is an issue, you can supplement or treat it, and get back to your most active best.
#3 – Exercising Too Hard
In the opening paragraph, we discussed the fact that exercising should be tiring; it should make you feel spent. However, there is a line, and if you push yourself too hard, too fast, then excessive tiredness is going to be the result.
It’s important to remember that all exercise routines should be gradual. You have to build up to intensive workouts, or workouts that require huge amounts of stamina. If you don’t, you’re going to be exhausted, as your body just isn’t ready to deal with the amount of exertion you’re asking yourself to manage. Be kind to yourself, build gradually, and the tiredness should slip away. Muscle recovery is quite important to ensure your body isn’t too exhausted.
When you have found the cause of your excessive tiredness, do what you can to remedy the issue, and ensure that you’re enjoying your exercise regime once again.
