Reasons You Feel Awful After Working Out

If you’ve recently started a new fitness routine, or even if you’ve been doing the fit lifestyle for a while, there’s a chance you’ve experienced the following situation: you start working out regularly to feel good, yet for some reason, your body feels tired and lethargic. You lift weights, you’re tired. You go for a run, you’re tired and nauseous. What gives? Aren’t you supposed to feel good when you work out? We’ve compiled a list of potential reasons you might be feeling this way–and what you can do to fix it.

You’re not eating enough.

If you haven’t accurately calculated how many calories your body requires to fuel your workouts, it’s possible that you’re not getting enough. To ensure you’re getting enough calories, you need to calculate your basal metabolic rate (BMR) and your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE). The more activity you do, the more calories you’ll need. Slow and steady wins the race–eating 800 calories a day in the hopes of losing weight fast will have you feeling miserable and quitting your fitness plan altogether.

In addition to caloric intake, making sure that you have the right balance of nutrients/macros is also very important. Carbohydrates are the body’s primary source of energy, protein is important for muscle building and tissue repair, and fats are important for supporting cell function and providing long-lasting energy. Ensuring that your diet encapsulates each one of these is vitally important for any fitness routine. Fueling your body correctly allows you to get through those hard workouts, and allows your body to recover faster!

You’re not hydrating enough/getting enough electrolytes.

Fatigue and nausea are a couple of the most common symptoms of dehydration. It’s very important to drink water before, during, and after your workouts to avoid this and keep your body functioning smoothly. In addition, depending on how much you sweat and what kind of activity you’re doing, you might want to supplement with electrolytes.

You’re doing too much too fast.

If you’re new to fitness, it’s important to build your body up to more intense workouts and frequency over time. Working out for an hour and a half every day when you first start out is the quickest way to burn your body out. It is so important to listen to your body. If your body is tired and tells you it needs to rest, give it rest. Overexerting yourself can lead to extreme fatigue, stomach issues, hormonal imbalances, and injury. Give yourself recovery time between workouts, and reduce the intensity of your workouts, and you should see a positive change in how you feel. Working your body up to these intense workouts is the way to go–it gives you the space to include fitness into your life at a pace that you feel comfortable with. If you want to try more high intensity workouts when you’re just starting out, make sure you balance them with lower-intensity workouts to avoid burnout.

You’re not allowing your body to recover.

Rest days are as important as workout days. Giving your body time to recover between workouts is essential. You can choose between doing no activity at all or doing an active rest day, with activities such as foam rolling or gentle yoga. Not giving your body proper recovery time can lead to overexertion and injury. Rest days are important to ensure that you stay consistent with your fitness plan, however motivated you might be. Give yourself grace, and give your body a break! It’s important for muscle recovery and your general sanity.

These are just a few reasons why you might be feeling worse after starting a fitness routine, and what to do about it! Please keep in mind that this article does not cover any underlying health conditions that may be causing you to feel this way. As always, if you feel like something is off, please speak with your doctor to eliminate any underlying health issues that may be causing these symptoms.