Last weekend I slept way more than usual, yet was still incredibly tired. Like beyond exhausted, eyes-shutting-I-even-took-a-nap tired.
I never take naps!
Yet there I was at 4:30 on Saturday afternoon, sound asleep.
And then the next day, even after going to bed early-ish, I was still exhausted.
I hate feeling tired which is why I make a major effort to get enough sleep each day.
So on Monday when I woke up still in this exhausted fog, I was over it.
I was scheduled to take the class, this intense cardio/bootcamp/yogic workout, and I was dreading it. I had no idea how I was going to drag my tired ass body through 5 minutes of burpees along with all the other butt busting moves.
But I did it. There were puddles of sweat to show for it.
Over the weekend of exhaustion, I did no exercise. Not a thing. So these layers of yuck– heavy energy– piled up inside, putting me in a dark haze that left me feeling run down. It was by working through this heavy energy, with exercise, that I was able to reenergize. It may sound counterintuitive, but by expending energy, we get more energy. Working out is a surefire way to pull yourself out of exhaustion.
Think about it – when we workout, we go deep into our bodies. We shake up the toxicity and all the BS that’s weighing us down. We breathe. We sweat. We cleanse. We make space for fresh energy to emerge.
It’s not an easy exhaustion fix that I write about. Working through the yuck takes a tremendous amount of effort. And motivation. Easy would’ve been to blow off my Monday morning exercise, and grabbed a coffee instead. Sure, that would’ve perked me up for a minute, but ultimately I’d be back in the yuck.
I’ve heard accupuncture helps exhaustion, and I’m totally open to trying that, but it’s certainly not accessible the way a workout is.
When we make exercise a part of our lives, we’re constantly recalibrating, resetting our energy from a clean slate. We’re enlivening our oxygen for new life. So the next time you’re beyond exhausted, try getting to your workout. I promise it’ll raise your energy. And if not, it’ll at least leave you better than you were before.
What’s your best fix for exhaustion?
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Yeah Elysha, exorcise that demon.
Exactly!
Thanks for putting it so simply, Terry.
How interesting – I am just about to write on the very same topic. I know what you mean – intense, vigorous exercise oxygenates and cleanses your whole body, making it a great start to the week. But if you did it every day, especially in the middle of an intense time, you would deplete yourself. So, I’m thinking about daily practices that refill your well, energetically speaking. Things like restorative yoga, Qi gong, pranayama, dru yoga, tai chi…
Here we are on the same page again, Sara– interesting, indeed!
I like to balance my workouts with yoga, and refill the well with a daily practice of meditation, definitely a component of what you’re thinking about. I tried tai chi recently, and thought what a nice practice to incorporate…we actually did it outside in nature — it felt amazing! But I’ll always need those vigorous workouts…it’s how I shake off the steam. Looking forward to reading your take on the topic!
Naps are sweet to do but lethargy only breeds lethargy. We give time for our bodies to rest but we equate that as well with movement.
You know, I say in class during savasana… Put the same amount of dedication and commitment you had during your practice be the same as when you rest.
xoxo
I love that, Maia- to give the same commitment to rest as to the movement. We need the movement to stir up and release the toxins. Then we rest to create the fresh slate to begin again. A movement practice with rest built-in is key. Thank you for sharing here! xoxo
wonderful to listen to your body
and offer it the exercise
or rest that it needs
to care for you 🙂
The body knows best! Thanks for the visit, SmileCalm ?