Should I Exercise If I Feel Tired?
Is it Good to Exercise when you’re Tired?
All of us feel tired sometimes. And, when you feel tired, it’s often tough to exercise. In fact, in some cases, if you’re tired it could be better to get some rest and skip your workout for the day. Of course, that’s not true for everyone in every situation. Often, exercising can help you feel more energized and alert.
So how do you know if you should exercise when you’re tired? It’s different for every person and every situation, but here are some tips that could help you.
Think About the Exercises You’ll Be Doing
If you’re very tired, it might be a good idea to do more gentle exercises for the day. For example, try stretching, going for a walk or hike, taking a moderate bike ride, or doing other similar exercises. These may help you feel refreshed without overdoing it or risking injury.
However, a lack of sleep can negatively affect your physical performance, so there’s a higher chance of injury if you exercise when you’re tired. This is something that is important to think about when you’re determining whether to do your workout.
Is it More Helpful to Exercise or Rest Right Now?
Listen to your body. Do you feel like exercising would improve your mood, help you feel more energized, or cause you to have a better sleep this evening? If that’s the case, then you may want to try to do a moderate workout.
However, if you’re so tired that you know exercising would make you feel terrible, or if you know you won’t be able to focus unless you take a nap, then you might want to skip the workout and try to catch up on sleep instead.
Consider the Overall Situation
How often have you exercised recently? How often have you felt tired? If you’ve worked out a lot recently, then it’s probably okay to skip today’s plans.
If you’ve felt tired often and this is becoming a regular thing, you may want to consider changing up your lifestyle to focus on more rest. Of course, if you feel unwell, it could be a good idea to talk to your doctor about the situation.
It can help to think about what type of tired you are as well. Do you feel mentally tired but physically okay? Exercising may actually help in this situation. However, if your body feels weak or sore, you may get more benefit from taking a rest.
If you feel unwell, talking to a medical professional can help you determine what’s best for you.