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Five Reasons You’re Fatigued & How to Push Through It

Learn what’s holding you back from peak performance and how to combat it

By Ange DimPublished 4 years ago 4 min read
Photo by Ephraim Mayrena on Unsplash

It’s completely normal to have different energy levels every day.

We can’t always be in our game on mode continuously.

There are a lot of factors that influence our energy levels on a day to day basis, and you may not always uncover what they are.

We have to look at lifestyles and nutritional habits that might cause the problem.

Starting from these significant points moves us in the right direction to better understand why this could be occurring.

Let’s look at energy slumps a lot more deeply to see if any of these resonate with your current situation.

You are experiencing stress in your life right now.

Stress can significantly impact our energy levels and nutritional choices.

Leading a stress-free life is out of the question, but there are several ways to manage stress.

Sometimes, we are choked by a deadline at work or have to deal with an emotionally and mentally draining task that has left us with nothing in the tank.

For some, the gym is a relief — although, for many, it can be very disheartening because of our lack of energy to perform and lift as we would at total capacity.

It’s important to realise these days will come and go.

Once you overcome that emotional and mental drain, the unstoppable version of you will start appearing again.

Try to find ways to deal with the stress by taking time out in nature, meditation or listening to a motivational audiobook that can help.

Animals are known for their ability to melt away depression and anxiety. So if you don’t have one, visit a friend that does.

Find what helps you and do this regularly.

Next, you need to adjust your training accordingly.

We won’t be performing optimally on days like this, although it’s still ideal to do something that will help increase your stress relief.

You might have to downgrade exercises and attempt something a lot milder.

Perhaps all you need is some extra sleep.

Try one or all of these tactics, as the solution will vary depending on the stress trigger.

You may not be eating enough for the training.

I’m sure you know how important it is to fuel correctly and perform well at the gym (or in your daily life, for that matter).

It’s challenging to find the sweet spot if you are trying to add muscle and lose body fat.

That’s why I always recommend focusing on one thing at a time unless you have the help of a personal trainer.

To lose weight and gain muscle mass simultaneously can be hit and miss.

I know this feeling all too well. Unfortunately, the rush to look a certain way can sometimes trigger stress.

When you lift heavy weight or train substantially for an event, you need to structure macronutrient levels accordingly.

If not, your efforts in the gym will not be sustainable, and you will find yourself injured, or worse still, unable to recover correctly.

Overtraining

There may have been certain times in your life when training more seemed like a great idea.

Fortunately, this is not true for weight loss and muscle gain.

You may trigger overtraining.

There are lots of warning signs that can signal overtraining. These range from:

  • •Having trouble sleeping
  • Lack of motivation to train
  • Unable to lift the weight you previously did
  • You are getting sick regularly and find it challenging to recover
  • Sore, injured and unable to recover as quickly as you should

If you feel any of these symptoms — you may well be heading towards overtraining.

When you train hard, you also have to recover well.

That might require a few days off, more supplements or more food!

Perhaps a good massage or yoga session to boost your range of movement & eliminate soreness while aiding recovery.

The guilt begins to manifest when we ease back and worry that we won’t get to our goals fast enough.

It’s easy to think we aren’t doing as much as we should. But, unfortunately, this goes hand in hand with not eating enough.

Take some time to discover what it is that’s causing the problem. Then, take the necessary steps to help you gain clarity and move in a positive direction.

You are not sleeping enough

This is a big one and can set you back with training, focus and concentration in your day to day life.

We can’t always have the best night's sleep, but we can and should aim to get as much of it as we possibly can.

A few ways to encourage sleep is by starting the winding down period earlier by;

  • Getting to bed when you are tired, instead of pushing on
  • Doing something relaxing before bed — like having a warm bath with magnesium salts to trigger relaxation and sleep.

Sometimes it’s best to cancel your training if you haven’t had enough sleep, as it might give you that extra few hours of sleep.

Listen to your body, and let it guide you to the correct answer.

You may be dehydrated

People underestimate the decline of your performance in any sport when you are not appropriately hydrated.

One trick I have used for years that serves me well is to drink one litre of water before the gym, one litre whilst working out, and then stagger another 1–2 litres throughout the day.

I will supplement some of the water with herbal teas as well.

Please don’t forget that caffeine can dehydrate you, so you will need to drink more because of this. In addition, high levels of protein cause us to feel thirsty.

If you would like to express gratitude with coffee, send the love via this link.

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About the Creator

Ange Dim

My mission is to help people become the best version of themselves through nutrition, exercise and mindset. Get your dose of coaching every week here: https://anged.substack.com/subscribe

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