Let’s be honest, most of the time when we say we’re too tired to work out it’s just because we’d much rather stay in bed or lounge on the couch. Often, low motivation is just something you have to power through.
However, there are times when you really are too exhausted for a workout. Also, sometimes when you’re super tired exercise can boost your energy but other times it’ll just make you more exhausted. How can you tell the difference?
Sleep and Exercise
Sleep and exercise are both super important for maintaining good health. The average adult needs 7 to 9 hours of sleep each day. If you don’t get enough sleep, you’re going to feel fatigued, you’re more likely to injure yourself, and your immune system won’t work as well. Getting enough sleep also supports your fitness goals: you’ll have more energy for exercise, and sleep is when your body repairs itself.
Exercise is vitally important as well. Regular exercise helps you build muscle and prevent muscle atrophy, improves overall physical health (including heart health and blood sugar regulation), and helps prevent injury by improving balance and strengthening joints, ligaments, and tendons. Movement also improves your mental health. Plus, regular exercise helps you sleep better at night. Sleep and exercise go hand-in-hand.
Listen To Your Body
Knowing both sleep and exercise are important still doesn’t answer the question of which one you should prioritize if you have to choose between the two. Unfortunately, there isn’t research on the question of “sleep vs. exercise.” It comes down to learning how to listen to your own body.
First, get to know your own tendencies and preferences. Are you a go-getter who loves training? Then you might be more likely to overwork yourself, and feeling exhausted could be a sign to take it easy. Are you typically a lower energy person who loves curling up on the couch (with a cup of tea and a good book, if you’re like me)? Then maybe feeling tired is something you need to push through so you can work out and get an energy boost from physical movement.
Next, ask yourself some questions. Are you tired because you didn’t get enough sleep last night (like pulling an all-nighter to finish a work project)? In that case, a nap and a shorter workout than usual can help you get back on track. On the other hand, if you’ve been working out regularly but you feel exhausted for days on end and your muscles are always sore, or you’re recovering from an injury, that can be a sign that you need to take a few rest days to let your body recover.
Rest Days
If you do need to take a rest day, that doesn’t necessarily mean no movement. You could go for a walk or practice gentle yoga (my favorite type of exercise). If you’re an athlete or someone with an intense training schedule, make sure you watch out for signs that you’re overtraining, and give your body the time it needs to rest and recover.
If you work with a personal trainer or attend group classes at Extreme Studio Performance, make sure you ask them if you’re not sure whether you’re too exhausted or sore to work out. They can help you come up with a plan to work with your body and meet your unique fitness goals, including getting rest when you need it.