We’ve all been there: You’re coming off of a busy work day where you didn’t feel like you had a chance to breathe, let alone sit down, and you’re totally spent. But, nagging at you is the fact that you didn’t get a workout in this morning. So do you succumb to the exhaustion and a Netflix binge or do you push yourself to hit the gym?

While some studies have demonstrated that regular exercise can help combat fatigue over time, we need to take a step back and ask ourselves this first: WHY are we so tired?

Part of the reason we’re more taxed now is because our bodies are still functioning like our ancient ancestors’. Our evolution hasn’t caught up to our 2018 lifestyle and our daily environments reflect that:

• We’re not getting enough sleep.
• We’re exposed to artificial lights ALL THE TIME (yes, screens count!).
• We’re not listening to our bodies’ internal clocks, instead relying on our phones and watches to tell us what’s next.

Then, we work out HARD and we drive our cortisol levels up. Cortisol is the body’s stress hormone that engages our fight or flight reactions, and impacts pretty much all our internal systems, aging us unnecessarily. And those hormones don’t really differentiate between the surge needed to outrun a tiger and the boost we recruit by going at it on the treadmill.

But that’s not to say we should quit our workouts entirely. Instead, we need to work out smarter. When we’re tired, like actually didn’t get enough sleep or our intellection was taxed all day, we need to give our body time to recover. That means choosing workouts that have recovery built in. Try:

• Yoga, especially restorative yoga. These practices consider recovery part of the workout, and focus on mindfulness, which can drive stress hormones down.
• Interval training. Again, recovery time is built in here, so your body can rest in between full-out sessions.
• Walking. Just a gentle stroll can do wonders for mind and body without the added stress.

Next time you skip the gym in favor of a well-deserved nap or a hot bath, skip the guilty feeling too. Remind yourself that our bodies need recovery and choosing restoration can be just as rewarding as an intense workout.

Feeling more than run-of-the-mill fatigue? Read our post about how to tell if your fatigue isn’t normal, and schedule a free, 15-minute consultation with MPLS IMC if you feel like you might need extra help!

Dr. Cassie Wilder

Dr. Cassie Wilder is a registered Naturopathic Medical Doctor (NMD) and founder of MIMC. Her passion is empowering her patients through education, understanding, and support through their healing journey. After graduating from Iowa State University with a Bachelors of Science in Kinesiology and Health, Dr. Wilder earned her Doctorate of Naturopathic Medicine from Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine & Health Sciences, a fully accredited and nationally recognized institution in Phoenix, AZ. During her clinical training, she received extensive hands-on training with many leading experts in the field of functional medicine and developed a passion for treating hormonal imbalances, thyroid disorders, cardiovascular concerns, and adrenal fatigue.