The National Sleep Foundation’s research shows people in the U.S. get 20% less sleep than they did a century ago. They also work more hours, which can increase stress, lower the amount of family time and make vacations a distant memory.
1. Not Exercising Enough: A study by the University of Georgia found regular, low-intensity exercise can help boost energy levels, even when people think it won’t. Regular exercise can actually go a long way in increasing feelings of energy, particularly in sedentary individuals.
2. Exercising to Much: Certain styles of exercise take the participant to a state of physical exhaustion on a regular basis, which may do more harm than good.
There is a fine line between training hard and overtraining, and when that line is crossed, it pushes the body’s stress response too far. That can result in a number of biochemical responses as the body tries to protect itself. One of those is to slow down several processes — creating fatigue as a result.
3. Your Gut Health is Out of Wack: There’s been a significant amount of research in the past few years about the role of your gastrointestinal system in regulating emotions, energy, immunity and even skin health and chronic disease. All that good and bad bacteria in your digestive tract is central to your health. according to Jo Ann Hattner, RD, and co-author of “Gut Insight: Probiotics and Prebiotics for Health and Well-Being.”
4. Not Sleeping as Well as You Think: Although you might wake up refreshed, that doesn’t mean you’ve gotten a solid night’s sleep. Even a mild case of sleep apnea can keep you from getting the deep sleep necessary to maintain energy throughout the day.
Feeling exhausted all the time isn’t a normal part of aging or living in a go-go-go society. Addressing stress, getting the right amount of exercise, improving your nutrition and practicing good sleep habits can go a long way.