Exercise exhaustion

[VeraDeara]

I wouldn't say I do a lot of exercise but I'm exhausted. Every workout/run, I'm pushing myself through. It helps hugely with my mental health though and, as I say, it's not even that I over-train so I shouldn't need a break.

Those that exercise regularly, how do you know the 'right' amount?

I would love it if my exercise gave me energy rather than sapping it!

Adding to the above, at the moment I take off Mondays and Tuesdays because those are my busy work days, and I have LOADS of energy for running and weights the rest of the week. The rest days get me excited to work out again on Wednesday. You've got to let go of the weight loss mindset, because less exercise doesn't necessarily lead to weight gain.

@fellrunner85 I wish I could blame the intensity of the runs! But I'm very slow and plod along, my heart rate stays around 135/140 doing 11-12 minute miles and I'm usually on the phone to a family member as I run. I will do the odd bit of speedwork but I don't enjoy it.

I did have a year or two of focusing on speed, ran a few races and met my goals (sub 30 5k, sub 60 10k)and was done with speed!

So I plod along doing non speedy runs, with a relatively low running milage, and do a couple of hours worth of weights/HIIT...it doesn't seem extreme!

I guess I really don't count the walks as 'proper' exercise, they're just to get my steps in. Maybe I'm just not built for what I want to be able to manage? Or the mental stress of stuff is taking a bigger toll than I think?

I really appreciate every reply, thank you so much for your thoughts, it's much appreciated. I feel like I work so bloody hard to be fit and eat well, I want to feel the benefits!!

@BurbageBrook

How often do you have an exercise holiday, e.g. a weekend or a week off? At times, I've had a programme almost as intense as yours, but then I'll always take a week off every few months, and regular weekends off too. Perhaps you just need an exercise holiday and a few more rest days.

Never, absolutely never. Holidays are walking holidays where I'll do long hikes and take my trainers so I can run, and I'd never book longer than 4 days away anywhere as I don't want to go too long without doing the weights too. I think there's only 5 days the last 3 years where I've done less than 10,000 steps and that was because of injury.

Okay admittedly that does seem a bit extreme written down. But it's been a huge help to get through lockdown having these routines and goals, it kept me going!

Try dropping the 8k run on Wednesday so you get one full rest day per week, and maybe one of the 4 mile walks, just until you feel revived, then add the walk back in but still keep one day of rest.

Also, don't rely on NHS levels checks. They are notoriously low. Try adding a plant-based iron supplement like Floradix. Are your runs outside? If not, add a Vit D spray daily. And are you eating enough protein? Muscle recovery needs protein. The exercise you do each day, you should be having a good source of protein at every meal or snack - so eggs, full fat yoghurt or Skyr, pulses, nuts, meat, fish, tofu etc.

Try upping your protein intake for a couple of weeks as well as dropping Wednesday run, and see if you feel stronger.

Can you describe your diet and calorie intake ? Could it be that you are simply not fueling your body sufficiently to do the exercise you want it to do ?

The other obvious question is are you sure you aren't pregnant ?

Yes, it's excessive OP, but I think you know that, and even if you don't, your body is telling you.

What about calories? I presume you're restricting them too?

and I'd never book longer than 4 days away anywhere as I don't want to go too long without doing the weights too

that doesn't sound healthy

Hi Verdeara, what else are you coping with in life at the moment as that could contributing to your feelings of exhaustion?

Be!

Your body needs recovery time. You’ll feel better for it.

Hmm. You're not answering any of the questions about your diet/calorie counting etc, which is a worry.

@Wrongkindofovercoat

Can you describe your diet and calorie intake ? Could it be that you are simply not fueling your body sufficiently to do the exercise you want it to do ?

The other obvious question is are you sure you aren't pregnant ?

I wish it was pregnancy - struggling with infertility the past 7 years so sadly not :(

Diet -
Breakfast 2 eggs with peppers, onions in a little coconut oil
Lunch homemade Lentil soup with extra roasted veg or cous cous and chicken salad
Dinner homemade curry with coconut milk, chickpeas, prawns, shed load of veg, brown rice or salmon and veg with baked sweet potato.

Before a run I'll have banana & peanut butter, and a snack would be Greek yoghurt with cacao powder & blueberries.

I try not to track my calories because then I start to worry too much about weight gain. I guess 1500kcals a day, which is plenty as I'm very short!

My weight is steady, so this amount must be right.

@VeraDeara You get fitter and faster after rest, in itself, exercise is just tearing yourself down.

If you carry on ignoring what folk are telling you, you'll end up not running at all.

@BIWI

Hmm. You're not answering any of the questions about your diet/calorie counting etc, which is a worry.

Sorry, I was just sorting some washing! And slow typing...

If you have lost six stone, you have probably reduced your calorific intake to get there yes ? You have increased your level of exercise as your weight reduced and you initially found it easier to do the exercise ?

You have to try to remember that your body doesn't have the stores it used to have, when you started it could dip into those stores at anytime for some energy, by losing weight you have depleted that store.
Now you have to rely on what you put in on a daily basis for energy, so you need to be honest with yourself, are you honestly giving it enough ?

Your diet seems low on carb for all that running & walking. Plus you must be burning a lot with all that exercise.

That's not 6 hours of excercise unless it's incredibly intense. I reckon more like 10½ based on 15 min miles walking and 1hr ish for 10k.

It's a lot of running and walking, plus the cross training. It is possible to exercise daily but it does need to be gentle "active rest with clear distinctions in intensity and strategically planned around heavier workouts.

Nutrition is important and while officially BMI 21 is "healthy" it may be on the light side at an individual level and more calories or more energy from certain nutrients may be needed to fuel the exercise and recovery.

@dorkfink

Your diet seems low on carb for all that running & walking. Plus you must be burning a lot with all that exercise.

Yeah I probably do unconsciously try to keep my carb intake down - a main culprit of my weight gain was far too many carbs (White bread how I miss you!)

I don't think I burn a super amount of kcal off, and that's sorted with the banana and peanut butter pre-run.

But I'm not saying I don't need to look at all this, and actually consider if I'm listening to my body, because it's definitely saying it's knackered right now and you've all given really helpful advice.

Hopefully I can make some changes and feel better in a few weeks, even if that means tapering right down and really evaluating calories etc.

OP, if you never take a holiday from the exercise, of course you're tired! I love a walking holiday too but it's also important to have the occasional chill day or even a week off. It does sound problematic that you wouldn't book longer than 4 days away for not being able to do weights - that sounds like exercise addiction to me. Muscle will not significantly reduce in a week or two off, in fact you'll probably come back stronger for the rest! Please give yourself a break! You're tired because your body is crying out for a holiday. I'm sure you give your mind a holiday from work, so your body deserves the same every now and then.

I'm saying this from a place of experience as I used to be the same - but it didn't do me any good and just made me end up getting injuries as well as developing an anxious reliance on exercise. Now I still have an active programme, like I said above, but I take proper rests. It's vital.

If you have weight training in your schedule, you NEED rest days. And loads of sleep.

That's a lot of exercise every week with zero rest. Like, actual rest.

I exercise a lot too (BMI 20) but have recently had a flare up of acne and IBS and the doctor has advised me to swap cardio for yoga/Pilates.

Over exercising can cause increased cortisol in the body which can cause sleep problems and low energy (& stress symptoms).

I usually do 30 mins spin 5 x week and 30 mins strength 4 days a week, plus 1 yoga session and daily dog walks . Now reducing this to 20 mins spin 4x week and 30 mins yoga 3 x week (I have a peloton). X

I am active. I am bad at rest days. Your exercise schedule is exhausting!

Why are you doing so much running? Does it help your MH in which case I understand but you are wearing your body down.

Have one day off a week when you walk but don’t walk 6 miles!

Perhaps you could do shorter runs and add in some weights at the end instead so it is less cardio?

And on a gentler day add in some barre or Pilates?

You need to eat a lot when you do that much running. Are you sure you aren’t low in iron? Normal levels are often not optimum

I think your carbs and calories are too low to sustain you. I was similar at one stage and because my weight was normal / BMI 21 no one could advise. Actually my set point (where my body is happiest) is more like BMI 23 and I needed to eat more and weigh more to have more energy. I also think you should have a full rest day, physical and mental.

The other thing that springs to mind - have you had Covid?

I've had to cut down this week as my dd has covid so I've stayed in. So have done no yoga classes (I usually do 5 classes a week) and no long walks (I usually do 15-20000 steps a day). I have used the peloton and done weights sessions. I have got so much more energy.

I think you're just doing way too much. Plus 1500 cals won't be enough. You'd burn off, what, 600 cals at least one one of those runs and you need to eat carbs to fuel them too.

Bloody hell OP that's loads! The reason you're exhausted is that you need to REST completely, at 1 day a week, ideally 2.

Which runners do you 'know' run every day and for far longer? I follow a good number of runners and running influencers on social media and a) they do it for a living, not in addition to working and b) they all have rest days!