Guess what question the internet doesn’t want to answer… I just read a large number of articles talking about how great exercising is for your well-being and energy levels. But none of them answered question I was recently posed by a friend of mine: how long until I will start feeling that extra energy???
My energy level most days can be described as ‘cheerleader who made her coffee with Red Bull’. But it wasn’t always so. So naturally, I get asked how my constant working out created this energy level. After all, most people look after their workouts something like this:
Rather than like:
A lot of research focuses on how exercise helps with giving you more energy. They talk about the mitochondria and cardiovascular health and plenty of other scientific data. However, most of us are focused on: I want to have energy. When will that happen. So here is a few things I have figured out for the timeline of feeling better:
Immediate benefit
Have you ever tried to stay awake and did it by just walking for a couple of minutes? I sure did… I am not very good at sitting for long. I also remember when my daughter was a newborn and I would try staying up at night. A couple of minutes of walking back and forth around the house would wake me up. So I guess this counts, right? Then working out can immediately make you feel less tired by getting your heart rate up and blood flowing.
After a couple of days
Sleep. Need I say more? Exercise improves your ability to fall asleep and the quality of sleep. Effects of good night’s sleep can be felt in a day or two, so that’s another fast-acting help with energy levels. Word of caution though: for a good chunk of population, working out too close to bed time may make it harder to fall asleep. Try working out a bit earlier in the day
Long term
This is where the main point of the question is, isn’t it? So nobody would commit to a timeline, but generally, it appears to be a few weeks. My friend was complaining because she wasn’t feeling any better despite having been working out for months. She said that she always feels more tired on the day she worked out. I think this sentence explains what the issue is. Strenuous exercise will leave you beat and devoid of energy. The question is what is intense for you, as it varies between people (and may vary for the same person depending on the day). For me, 10 mile run may be just an average workout, while to somebody else an hour long walk is pushing it. It depends on your fitness level. Either way, if you tucker yourself out, don’t expect to be full of energy for the rest of the day. You may even need a nap. On your days off, though, you should notice that doing the same things requires much less energy from you. And if you stick to the same routine? That hour long walk that used to leave you winded will feel like a nice stroll in the fresh air.
So what if you always feel tired after gym session with your personal trainer? Good chance is that without you noticing it, your trainer has been raising the bar to keep your exertion at the same level. You are getting stronger, don’t give up!
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