Tired of being tired?

Have you noticed how often the answer to your question,  “ How are you?” is “ So tired”.

What is this tiredness all about?  You might also notice that people who are happily on the go rarely say they’re tired.  Tiredness might have something to do with not expending energy.  It appears to be counter-intuitive to say the more you move, the more energy you have. If you’re tired, sleep.  Not always.  If you’re tired in the middle of the morning, move. Notice when you lie on the couch how easy it is to fall asleep. Move to generate energy and feel alive!

When you are watching television your body is usually stationary. To generate energy try the following movements, 10 times each.  Begin by raising your arms above your head and stretching each arm.  Next, work your legs, by bending and stretching.  With knuckles facing, move your elbows in a circular motion. Then stand and with feet 10 inches apart swing your arms from side to side.  Raise your shoulders to your ears. Move your head from side to side again the final 10 times. Finally do a super person stretch by clasping your hands behind your back and pulling down, 3 times.  While doing these simple exercises take belly breaths making sure you exhale as deeply as you inhale. And remember there are foods that encourage drowsiness and tired feelings shortly after giving the initial spurt of energy.  Cake, cookies, candy, and of course, caffeine are some major deceivers.

A Little is Very Good

A University of Georgia study randomly selected 36 healthy, young adults who said they had persistent feelings of fatigue.  They participated a in a six week period of moderate, medium and low intensity exercise 3 days a week. The study concluded that effects for symptoms of fatigue were moderated by exercise intensity, with low intensity exercise

producing the more favorable outcomes.  Conclusion, a little exercise is a good way to combat fatigue.

If simple exercise doesn’t restore energy, it may be time to have a conversation with your doctor who will help you pin point the cause of your excessive tiredness. Tiredness may be due to physiological, (hormones) emotional (stress), or lifestyle (quality of sleep) imbalances. Hopefully, moving your body may be all that is needed to shake that tired feeling.

A.M.