Yes, this happens to me too. I know exercise is supposed to make you feel energized, but after an hour or so of working out on the treadmill or elliptical, all I want to do is crawl into bed for the rest of the day.
This is why I only work out at night, so I can come home and sleep.
When I first started I had a similar problem feeling exhausted all day long after a workout. I'm not a professional or anything so my advice is strictly from research and talking to friends...If you're new to working out, then it's somewhat common feeling exhausted because your body is trying to adjust to a new lifestyle. Some things you can do:
1. Don't workout on an empty stomach
Eat a little snack of carbohydrates before your workout. Carbs are a great fuel and help you avoid feeling run down. Fruit is good because it gives you carbs for energy and antioxidants for better health. It's also good to have a carb/protein snack within 30 minutes after your workout for energy replacement and muscle repair.
2. Drink enough water
Drinking water throughout the day and every 10 minutes during your workout help prevent dehydration (dehydration can lead to exhaustion).
3. Be careful not to overtrain
Exhaustion could be a sign of overtraining. You may want to lower the intensity just a bit or make sure you have rest days during the week.
a month really isn't a long time for your body to get adjusted to an exercise routine. I was pretty out of shape when I started, I remember it taking time for me to not feel wiped out after a routine.
you can either scale back on the amount your doing, and build up slower if the exhaustion is a big problem for you. or work through it, and eventually you'll get past that, depending on all those types of factors that have to do with your body and fitness level (and exercise consistency -- I throw that in there because when I've felt wiped out, I've skipped sessions and thus it, of course, takes longer to adjust).
when I get my TOM that sucks my energy levels too, so that can play a factor, as can stress level and amount of activity in general I'm getting.
I had this problem at one point. The suggestion that Meg here on 3FC made was to increase the amount of protein I was eating. I aimed for 100 grams a day, and the problem resolved.
It could also be that you simply aren't eating enough to fuel that level of exercise. If you have gone from zero exercise/activity to an hour every day, and at the same time dropped your calories significantly, it's a kind of "double whammy" for the body.
Another possibility is that you aren't used to exertion, if this is something new for you. Start with a lower level of intensity or a shorter length of time.
Some folks like to have a small snack that includes protein half an hour before a workout.
I am not someone who usually caves to buying products advertised by celebrities (Lance Armstrong), but I swear by the FRS energy drink concentrate. I was feeling really wiped out by lunch time---I work at an elementary school. I read the Amazon reviews, and figured out that the FRS makes you feel "normal," instead of wired. I take two bottles a day to work (mix 2 oz. of concentrate, 6-8 oz of water) and have one in the morning and one at lunchtime. I use the sugar-free orange concentrate, which has very few calories. Supposedly FRS was invented to help athletes stay energized. I think the active ingredients are antioxidants and plant extracts. I just know that it keeps me from having that after lunch draggy period.
FRS is not cheap, but I often find it on sale at Amazon and Drugstore.com. I get 16-20 servings out of a bottle, which I can usually get for about $15.00 on sale with free shipping. MSRP is $19.99 per 32 oz bottle.
Have you been checked for deficiencies? I was vitamin B deficient and still am Vitamin D deficient. Made a huge difference. For others iron can be an issue. But dont just start supplementing without getting checked. I was iron anemic as a kid and when my energy plummeted I would have bet money that I was low iron again but I wasnt and high iron can be dangerous.
When I first started exercising regularly I didn't only feel tired, I felt disoriented too. I started keeping Powerade Zero around. It's a zero calorie sports drink, it costs about a buck for a 32 oz bottle, and it tastes pretty good.
I would keep it in my fridge and just take a few sips if I felt bad. One bottle lasted a while that way. Eventually my body got used to the workout so I stopped keeping it around. However, if I'm out and I want something other than water to drink I might buy one. Like I said, it's tasty.
Thanks for all the advise. I am going to try to work on getting more protein in my diet. I know I am low there and also get the B Vitamins, and maybe eat a banana before working out and see if this helps me...
I have the opposite happen to me, When I get to the gym I start off at an ok pace but after 15-20 minutes I am as my wife says "all energy" I am usually at the gym for anywhere from an hour on a light day to 2 hours on a weight lifting day and thats 4-6 times per week depending on a babysitter. after the gym I feel like I have tons of energy and my wife says I talk a lot after a good work out.
I have to agree with the stuff posted above, make sure that you are hydrated, make sure you have eaten enough before heading off to exercise and what Jay said about the protein is spot on for me, enough protein makes for a happy time every time.
Another person who's been there, done that. Make sure you're getting enough protein throughout the day! If it's only before a workout, your body is going to expect it every time and on your off day when you don't have extra protein, your body thinks you're starving it and then it gets harder to lose weight.
While a banana will give you lots of potassium, you're better off with something with more protein in it - chicken in your salad, a hamburger patty, tofu, a handful of nuts.
Like someone else said, you could be over doing it all - too many changes can be difficult for your body to deal with and it's shutting down to try to recover. Just take it slow and breathe! Congrats on yor determination, though. Most people would feel tired and give up!
Exhausted After Working Out
