Feeling tired after a workout session

threewins

I'm just curious what everyone's experiences are regarding feeling tired after exercise sessions. How often do you feel tired, and how bad does it usually get? Do you ever have a nap either immediately after, or later on? Thanks.

cwolfman13

threewins wrote: »

I'm just curious what everyone's experiences are regarding feeling tired after exercise sessions. How often do you feel tired, and how bad does it usually get? Do you ever have a nap either immediately after, or later on? Thanks.

What are you doing exactly? How long have you been doing it? Are you always trying to work at high intensity? Do you take recovery days?

In my experience, this is usually a matter of doing too much too soon and working beyond one's level of fitness. Fitness is something that is built over time. Your fitness regimen shouldn't really be wiping you out to the extent of needing a nap.

quiksylver296

cwolfman13 wrote: »

threewins wrote: »

I'm just curious what everyone's experiences are regarding feeling tired after exercise sessions. How often do you feel tired, and how bad does it usually get? Do you ever have a nap either immediately after, or later on? Thanks.

What are you doing exactly? How long have you been doing it? Are you always trying to work at high intensity? Do you take recovery days?

In my experience, this is usually a matter of doing too much too soon and working beyond one's level of fitness. Fitness is something that is built over time. Your fitness regimen shouldn't really be wiping you out to the extent of needing a nap.

That^^

I work out in the morning and go straight to work. It energizes me for the day.

AnnPT77

If you're so tired you frequently feel the urge to nap after workouts, you're overdoing for your current fitness level, either in frequency of exercise, intensity of exercise, or duration of exercise.

Further, if your goals include weight loss, you're at cross-purposes to yourself, whether you're eating back the exercise calories or not.

Exercise burns calories, of course. Exercising so much that you need a nap makes it likely that you're reducing the calories you spend in daily life (either by taking the nap, which has lower calorie burn than being awake; or by dragging through your day in a state of fatigue, which has lower calorie burn than an energized day). In effect, you're earning exercise calories then cancelling out some of them via fatigue. Whether you eat the exercise calories back (as you should, if MFP estimated your goal calories) or don't eat your exercise calories back, exercising to the point of routinely being fatigued is going to slow your weight loss below what you expect.

The sweet spot is exercise that's a challenge, but that - as Quiksylver296 describes - leaves you feeling energized for the rest of your day (after maybe just a few minutes of a "whew" feeling right after the workout).

I'd recommend that you reduce your exercise intensity, frequency, or duration until you find that sweet spot.

With time, as you get fitter, you can gradually begin to add more exercise, if you like, when more becomes manageable while staying energized.

pjwrt

threewins wrote: »

I'm just curious what everyone's experiences are regarding feeling tired after exercise sessions. How often do you feel tired, and how bad does it usually get? Do you ever have a nap either immediately after, or later on? Thanks.

There's a reason for the warning about seeing a doctor before starting exercising for reals. Get a good check up with blood works, heart, etc.

No, you shouldn't feel tired.

claireychn074

I’m going to go against the grain slightly here: I mostly agree with what everyone else has said (ie defo don’t do too much too soon) but there are times I need a nap. A 2-hr lifting session in the morning will usually make me want a snooze in the afternoon. But this won’t usually happen after a lighter workout. Are you getting enough sleep on most nights?