Do you know how to listen to your body when it comes to being rundown?
There are many reasons why you might feel that way, maybe you went to bed after midnight only for your alarm to go off at 5:00 or maybe you worked out extremely hard the day before and didn’t eat and drink enough afterwards.
These are only a few examples, but there can be so many other things at play such as:
Not sleeping enough consistently, too much “fun stuff” like fast food or alcoholic drinks and not enough energizing food and water, or maybe you’re coming down with something and your body is fighting it off. You could have also overdone it on your workouts throughout the week and didn’t have enough time to properly recover, you could be overly stressed (at work, at home, or from exercising too much), or you could simply not be eating enough on a regular basis.
This is not a comprehensive list, there are so many other things that could make you feel rundown. So, when you wake up feeling this way, what should you do?
Start the day off on the right foot. Sleep more if you can and/or get outside and see the sun first thing. The sun will help your body wake up and give you important vitamins at the same time. Drink a huge glass of water and then continue to drink water throughout the day. Eat filling and nourishing foods, such as fruits and veggies, protein, and healthy fats.
And the big one, maybe skip the gym!
If you struggle with that decision, go easier that day or do active recovery instead. Adding more stress and strain on an already exhausted body won’t help you the next day.
Sometimes you can push through the groggy feeling, but being rundown is not the same as feeling unmotivated or just “tired”.
Listen to your body, it knows what it needs. If you have overwhelming brain fog, severe muscle soreness, extreme fatigue, fever, or any sign of sickness, you should probably rest.
If you are feeling this way more often than not, you should evaluate your sleep, food quality, water intake, sun exposure, and stress. If those are all in line, a trip to the doctor might be the next step. It’s not always easy to take a rest day and listen to what our body needs over what we want to do, but sometimes you just HAVE TO. Your body will thank you.
P.S. Taking 1-2 rest days every week is highly recommended to let your body recover. That doesn’t mean you sit around and binge watch the new season of your favorite show. It just means that you don’t need to spend time at the gym. Go for a walk or hike, take time to stretch and move. The biggest thing is to avoid lifting weights, running, or exerting energy at a high intensity.