Waking up with no energy to get out of bed and being unable to start our day without a cup of coffee probably sounds familiar to most of us. But what if this sluggish, fatigued feeling doesn’t only occur after a night out but becomes the description of your everyday life?
The internet suggests that what you’re dealing with may be adrenal fatigue. The lack of energy and motivation that comes with this state may create a considerable obstacle in your fitness journey. Trying to compensate for your lack of energy with intense exercise may be just as bad as stopping entirely.
What should you do? First, let’s learn what this notion really means and how to exercise with adrenal fatigue.
What Is Adrenal Fatigue?
The term “adrenal fatigue” dates back to 1998. It was coined by a naturopath called James Wilson, Ph. D., who defined a certain group of symptoms as a result of decreased adrenal gland function.
Adrenal glands are small organs located above your kidneys and are responsible for the production of essential hormones, like adrenaline and cortisol. According to Wilson’s theory, prolonged intense stress or recovery from infections, such as the flu, can compromise their function. What does this have to do with your workout routine? Both adrenaline and cortisol play an important role in exercise.
Despite sounding convincing, adrenal fatigue as a condition still remains little more than a theory. The concept of adrenal fatigue is based on the assumption that your adrenal glands can become overexerted and stop producing essential hormones, but experts say this won’t happen so easily.
A 2016 review examined 58 studies related to the topic and concluded that results were far too contradictory to prove the existence of adrenal fatigue.
Symptoms of Adrenal Fatigue
According to Wilson’s theory, when your adrenal glands can’t meet your body’s demands anymore, you’ll experience a drop in essential hormones. This will be signaled by the following symptoms:
- General fatigue
- Difficulty falling asleep and waking up
- Higher energy levels in the evening
- Salt and sugar cravings
- Low motivation
- Difficulty concentrating due to brain fog
Experts agree that these symptoms are very general and can be caused by various different conditions. Depression, anemia, sleep apnea, heart or lung problems, autoimmune diseases, diabetes, and various infections are only some of the possible underlying conditions.
Needless to say, it’s recommended that you get to the bottom of the issue instead of simply living with it. If you experience symptoms of adrenal fatigue despite having ruled out underlying conditions, then lifestyle habits like an improper diet, poor sleeping habits, and a sedentary lifestyle can also be at fault.
Adrenal Fatigue vs. Adrenal Insufficiency
Although the two terms sound similar, it’s important to differentiate adrenal fatigue from adrenal insufficiency. While the former isn’t recognized as a medical condition, the latter is. No test will tell you whether you have adrenal fatigue, but adrenal insufficiency can indeed be diagnosed and treated. Symptoms of this disease include the following:
- Weakness
- Fatigue
- Lack of appetite
- Weight loss
- Low blood pressure
How to Exercise With Adrenal Fatigue
While adrenal fatigue as a condition may not be considered an actual medical condition, its symptoms certainly are. When you experience a lack of energy, the most common advice you’ll probably get is that you need to exercise more. Going harder may not always be better, especially when your current condition checks all the boxes mentioned above.
With adrenal fatigue, you should look for exercises that don’t put a lot of stress on your adrenal glands. Listen to your body’s signals and don’t push yourself beyond a reasonable limit. The amount of exercise recommended will vary from person to person. Nevertheless, working out until you can’t go on isn’t a good idea.
Here’s what to keep in mind when exercising with adrenal fatigue.
Keep the Intensity Low
High-intensity training is adrenally taxing, and is generally not recommended for those with adrenal fatigue. This means that you should skip long cardio sessions, intense circuit training, CrossFit, and HIIT. Stick with more gentle exercises that allow you to breathe. If you’re struggling to catch your breath, you’ve already gone too hard.
Instead of metabolic workouts, low-intensity exercises like walking and yoga are great ways to get a moderate amount of movement. Low-intensity cardio and weight training can also work.
Take a Breather
Another critical factor in exercising with adrenal fatigue is allowing yourself enough time to recover. High-intensity exercises with short rest periods have been shown to increase the metabolic and adrenal stress the body undergoes. Appropriate rest periods are crucial to avoid overtraining.
Switch your HIIT (high-intensity interval training) regimen to a LIIT (low-intensity interval training) one, and make sure you double up on the rest period between sets to allow your heart rate to stabilize. Depending on the intensity of the exercises, allow yourself 1-3 minutes of rest. In addition, keep your workout short; under 30 minutes should be enough until you get back on track.
Start Walking
Nurturing your mental health is often recommended to help the symptoms mentioned above. One of the best workouts that can both relax you mentally and give you some low-level movement is walking.
The positive effects of walking, particularly in nature, have been emphasized time and time again. Even a short walk outside can help normalize your cortisol response and alleviate stress, anxiety, and depression symptoms. A 15- to 30-minute walk can help your mental performance and shouldn’t leave you exhausted. The low-impact nature of this exercise makes it suitable for almost anyone; all you need is a pair of comfortable shoes to get started.
If you don’t find walking challenging enough, you can amp up your speed. A brisk walk that doesn’t make your heart rate skyrocket is also an excellent option for those dealing with adrenal fatigue.
Slow Down With Yoga
As you might have noticed, slowing down is key for managing adrenal fatigue. Another activity that fulfills this criterion is yoga.
Yoga promotes slow movement and helps you relax by stabilizing your breathing. At the same time, the poses make your muscles work, providing you with a great low-impact workout. Relaxing your mind and body with yoga may also help you sleep better if you have difficulty getting to sleep.
The best way to get started with this activity is to enroll in a class to ensure you’re doing the poses correctly and don’t accidentally hurt yourself. How often you should practice yoga and how long sessions should be depend on the type of yoga in question. Beginners can start with Hatha yoga, for instance. If you go for this variety, a 30-minute session every day is a great start.
Improve Your Diet
The question of how to exercise with adrenal fatigue shouldn’t be isolated to the gym alone. Your diet and workout routine go hand in hand, and tweaking the former can help you get more out of the latter.
Since adrenal fatigue is not an official condition, there is no recommended diet to treat it. However, improving your nutrition is always a good idea. A balanced diet will make you feel better and can alleviate some of the symptoms typically ascribed to adrenal fatigue. The right post-workout meal can also help manage your cortisol response.
Some of the foods and drinks to cut down on include the following:
- Caffeine
- Sugar and artificial sweeteners
- Processed and fried foods
On the other hand, some vitamins are great for symptoms of adrenal fatigue:
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin B5
- Vitamin B6
- Vitamin B12
- Magnesium
Try to keep your blood sugar stable by eating regularly. Skipping meals will affect your energy levels negatively.
Keep It Consistent
Whichever adrenal fatigue-friendly activity you choose, staying consistent is crucial. Depending on your fitness level, prior experience, and how you’re feeling, you should try to aim for a 20- to 30-minute session 2 to 4 times a week. If you’re unsure, start lower and adjust the duration and frequency of your workouts as you go.
Keeping track of how you’re feeling after your session is key. Your mild workouts shouldn’t leave you exhausted and gasping for air. If that’s what you’re experiencing, go easier. You can slowly raise the bar when you’re starting to feel more energized. Consider keeping a workout journal to track your progress more precisely.
Monitor Yourself
You should be able to tell when you have gone overboard by simply listening to your body. If you want to ensure that you’re not overexerting yourself, you might want to consider investing in a heart monitor. Keep an eye on the monitor while exercising to ensure your heart rate remains in zone 2, which is about 60-70% of the maximum heart rate.
Don’t Let Fatigue Stop You
Regardless of whether adrenal fatigue is a recognized condition or not, learning how to manage the symptoms can improve your quality of life. Although feeling sluggish and fatigued all the time will hardly motivate you to go out and get started, certain workouts will help you overcome this slump.
And now that you’ve learned how to exercise with adrenal fatigue, you won’t be doing more harm than good with your workout routines.