"I just don't know why i get tired out. sometimes i don't involve myself in strenuous activities but i still feel considerably tired" Evelyn told her friend.
Looking at the above statement, it is apparent that Evelyn does not understand the reasons for her tiredness.
Before she decides to go to the doctor, there are things that she could do to get back to a good unfatigued state. Lack of sleep isn’t the only thing sapping your energy. Little things you do (and don’t do) can exhaust you both mentally and physically.
Here, United States Health experts, Amy Goodson, Lombardo and Towfigh reveal common bad habits that can make you feel tired, plus simple lifestyle tweaks that will put the pep back in your step.
1) How much you sleep
You saw this one coming,right? Many people don't get enough sleep. If you're one of them, avoid caffeine and alcohol in the hours just before bedtime. turn off the TV before bed, and keep your bedroom quiet and restful.
2) You don’t drink enough water
Being even slightly dehydrated—as little as 2% of normal fluid loss—takes a toll on energy levels, says Amy Goodson, RD, a dietitian for Texas Health Ben Hogan Sports Medicine. Dehydration causes a reduction in blood volume, explains Goodson, which makes the blood thicker. This requires your heart to pump less efficiently, reducing the speed at which oxygen and nutrients reach your muscles and organs. To calculate your normal fluid needs, take your weight in pounds, divide in half and drink that number of ounces of fluid a day, Goodson recommends.
3) You’re not consuming enough iron
An iron deficiency can leave you feeling sluggish, irritable, weak, and unable to focus. “It makes you tired because less oxygen travels to the muscles and cells,” says Goodson. Boost your iron intake to reduce your risk of anemia: load up on lean beef, kidney beans, tofu, eggs (including the yolk), dark green leafy vegetables, nuts, and peanut butter, and pair them with foods high in vitamin C (vitamin C improves iron absorption when eaten together), suggests Goodson. Note: an iron deficiency may be due to an underlying health problem, so if you’re experiencing these symptoms of iron deficiency, you should visit your doctor.
4) You skip breakfast
The food you eat fuels your body, and when you sleep, your body continues using what you consumed at dinner the night before to keep your blood pumping and oxygen flowing. So, when you wake up in the morning, you need to refuel with breakfast. Skip it, and you’ll feel sluggish. “Eating breakfast is like starting a fire in your body by kickstarting your metabolism,” Goodson says. Goodson recommends a breakfast that includes whole grains, lean protein, and healthy fat. Good examples include oatmeal with protein powder and a dab of peanut butter; a smoothie made with fruit, protein powder, low-fat milk, and almond butter; or eggs with two slices of whole-wheat toast and low-fat yogurt.
5) How much you exercise
This is the biggie, Lombardo says. His favorite prescription for plain old tiredness is regular, vigorous exercise. Finish at least three hours before bedtime, so you have time to wind down.
If
you think that exercise would just make you more tired, there's good
news: Exercise breeds energy. Almost all the studies that have looked at
this question have found the same thing: Sedentary people who start
exercising feel much less fatigue than those who stay idle. It's one of
those surprising truths: move more and you'll get more energy.
Goodson recommends getting 40 minutes of exercise at least four days a week, to get you going.
Do
that, and a month from now, you should notice some improvement. Keep
with it for three to six months more, and you should feel much better.
If
you follow your exercise prescription for at least a month -- and
you're also making enough time for sleep -- and you're still feeling
lousy, look into other causes, Goodson advises.
6) You work through vacation
Checking your email when you should be relaxing by the pool puts you at risk of burnout, says Lombardo. Unplugging and allowing yourself to truly unwind allows your mind and body to rejuvenate and return to the office stronger. “When you truly take breaks, you will be more creative, productive, and effective when you return,” says Lombardo.
7) You stay up late on weekends
Burning the midnight oil on Saturday night and then sleeping in Sunday morning leads to difficulty falling asleep Sunday night—and a sleep-deprived Monday morning, says Dr. Towfigh. Since staying in can cramp your social life, try to wake up close to your normal time the following morning, and then take a power nap in the afternoon. “Napping for 20 minutes or so allows the body to recharge without entering the deeper stages of sleep, which can cause you to wake up more tired,” he says.
This article originally appeared on Health.com.
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