I find that I always start exercising but give it up because I just get so tired. I heard that exercising is supposed to make you have more energy but I generally can't get over the lack of energy I feel for days after I exercise. I know it depends on the person, but about how long does it take for the energy benefit of exercising kick in??

Exercise shouldn't make you tired.

Try working less hard. If you're too out of breath to talk, you're pushing yourself too hard/fast.

are you eating enough?

are you starting slowly and easing into a program. If you have not been exercise you should start out at ~20 minutes of walking max and work up

you should not be wiped out at the end of a workout. A good hard workout should leave you slightly fatigued and energized at the same time. You should never feel like you need to collapse at the end.

Yeah, there is soemthing wrong.... exercise makes me feel energized! I love how I feel after a good workout.

In addition to eating 'enough' you might want to take a look at the 'quality' of your food. Be sure to include several servings of veggies each day (lettuce doesn't count), and good 'fats'. Your body will need these to 'rebuild' itself.

If the fatigue persists, mention it to your doctor.

It took a couple of weeks I think to really see the change in my energy levels. I totally agree with what others have said about not pushing yourself too hard. You shouldn't feel utterly exhausted from a normal workout. One other area is sleep. Are you getting enough sleep to give you body time to rest and repair?

After a step class my friend looks over at me and says, "I'm seeing stars, is that normal?" I tell her no, that is a sign she's about to pass out and passing out after an exercise class is not good.

I agree. Don't work out too hard at first. The classes that I took at first, the instructors made sure to let us newbies know the "beginners" moves and encouraged us not to overdo it. Again, you should feel spent, not completely exhausted. The amount of housework I'll do after a workout!

..and this from someone who actually thought I was too out of shape to join a gym just four months ago. You can do it, just take your time.

When I first figured out that exercise is actually a good thing was when I needed to lose the baby weight from my first kid, 16 years ago. I never exercised b/4 that. I bought some Firm tapes cause they looked like a good mix of cardio and strength training and I had to start someplace. It took me a good 8 weeks or more to finally get to a place where I felt that I could comfortably do the whole video, start to fininsh. When I first started exercising, I could never, ever fininsh the whole thing and adjusted along the way. And yes, I was tired from exercising. Physically tired; didn't feel like moving. But I stuck w/it; I was annoyed that I was not bursting w/energy but I persisted. ONLY after about 6-8 weeks did I actually feel energized from exercise. Others on here are saying you're working too hard. I wasn't; it just took a really long time for me to get that boost from exercise. But once I got it, even after I would go long absences w/out exercising, I knew it would come back and it never, ever again took that long. That's just my 2cents! Hope it helps. Stick with it. It absolutely DOES get better. I (gasp!!) even like exercising now. Who would have thunk it?

Jo

I think it does get much easier. If you are starting over again, for the first two weeks, you do feel tired and like death. I was always sleepy and achy. But it does get better, but you have to stick thru til week 3 when you will start getting energy from your exercise. And as my siggy says........you will begin to look forward to it..........it's true.

The sore muscles are exhausting. The unusual activity is exhausting.

This happens to all of us, even if we regularly exercise, in some way or another. For example, every Spring I get out and do a whole bunch of yardwork. It uses unique muscles I haven't used all winter, and I am always sore, achy, and tired (even though I could do a step class, lift weights, and run four miles and not feel achy or tired). Another example is when you do a home improvement project like paint (sore arm, shoulder, back) or refinish wood floors (sore legs, hamstrings, etc). It is exhausting.

But, when your body builds up the endurance and muscle needed to do the exercise, you will not feel so tired. You'll feel great. Energized.

Okay, another example. Before you were exercising, you were still physically moving. Like, you got out of bed and went to work and went to the grocery store and things. Doing those activities didn't exhaust you. In fact, if you compared a day of getting up and doing those activities to a day spent in bed, not moving, you would say that getting up was "energizing". Your body WANTS to move, exercise, thrive... it just needs to get used to it and get acclimated. The exhaustion will fade and you will LOVE how you feel. Just give it time! Pretty soon it will be as much a part of your daily movement as getting out of bed and going to work (or the store)!

Fran's right (hi Fran), its takes about 2-3 weeks before your energy level improves. Your body is just not use to this level of exercise but it will be. I remember feeling just whipped the first few weeks but I knew it was coming as I had been down that road before (in my yo-yo years) so I was prepared for it. I make sure I get the right amount of sleep and I eat every 3-4 hours (making sure my meals all consist of protein, good fats, and carbs). Once your energy level increases you will be off to the races and you will actually find that you will feel less energized if you don't exercise. SlimLindy is also right - your muscles are not use to it yet. Think about all the muscles groups you don't use to do normal functions and when you throw in exercise that works your whole body over your body will retaliate by being sore and achy. Again, it passes.

Keep at it..its worth it.