Are you looking for ways to overcome periods of fatigue so you can keep training? You can take advantage of times when energy is low to try new approaches and take care of yourself by taking a gentler approach for a few sessions or incorporating a little more exercise into your daily routine to stay in shape. You are right to persevere because doing sport is the ideal way to gain energy! With a good diet and high-quality sleep, you’ll soon restore your energy levels!

Make Training Part of Your Daily Routine

Feeling too tired to plan a full hour of training this week? Introduce physical activity into your daily life in small steps and test other approaches:

• To encourage yourself, schedule a short, 10-minute session – maybe once you get going, you’ll want to keep going! Sometimes the hardest part is getting started – once you’ve got your gym clothes on, you might just find more energy!
• During periods of fatigue, set yourself daily micro-challenges to stay alert without forcing yourself to do a session: walk, do a few errands on your bike, climb the stairs a little faster than usual and so on.
• Try changing your routine by testing other training times: perhaps your usual training time is not the best time for you to muster the most energy.
• Take the opportunity to try new sports: novelty has a stimulating effect on the brain. If your energy level is low, gentle activities, such as yoga or stretching, can be beneficial.
• During periods of fatigue, take every opportunity to do yourself good: massages, naps, leisure activities, etc. Whether you do sport or not, you need to recharge your batteries and take care of yourself. You will return to training all the more quickly, without guilt and in great shape!

Doing Sport to Regain Energy

Paradoxical as it may seem, exercising is probably the best way to regain energy! An American scientific study has shown that physical activity of moderate intensity can help reduce signs of fatigue by up to 65% while increasing energy levels.

The Body Needs to be Stimulated to Function Well

The body has a great capacity to adapt: most of the benefits of sport come from this. The harder you push your body, the stronger it becomes. Of course, it is never a question of going beyond your capacities: listen to your feelings at all times. If you know the cause of your fatigue, for example, an intense session the day before, you should rest to recover properly.

It is important to bear in mind that a sedentary lifestyle can cause fatigue and stress, whereas doing sport makes the body work at full capacity, optimising all its processes. The human body’s capacity to adapt also creates an effect of habituation to the effort: you have to gradually increase the difficulty of the exercises or the length of the sessions to continue to be stimulated.

What Type of Activity Should I Do to Regain Energy?

Slow exercise over a long period of time is beneficial in the long run. Walking for 20 minutes per day no matter what is a very good habit to get into.

More intense activity without going beyond one’s capacity and with sufficient rest periods is beneficial in the medium term. High-intensity interval training over short periods speeds up the metabolism and helps the body to use its carbohydrate and fat reserves more efficiently. Stamina is also improved: you become less and less sensitive to fatigue.

If you feel a drop in fitness or motivation when doing a slow cardio workout, such as on a treadmill, schedule a short split session to wake your body up and regain energy.

Play on Your 2 Other Pillars: Diet and Sleep

In times of low energy, it is even more important than usual to support your body with a balanced diet and good sleep:

• Add vitamins and trace elements to your diet by varying your menus and incorporating as many fruits and vegetables as possible.
• Limit overly rich meals and cooked animal fats, which slow down digestion, cause tiredness and even make it difficult to fall asleep.
• Create favourable conditions for sleep, with stable bedtime and wake-up times, a calm environment, etc.
• Do meditation exercises: they help combat stress and allow you to take express breaks at any time of the day, which can have the same effect as a micro-nap and give you more energy!

Check out our Fitness & Training page for more advice.