Too tired to exercise? We've got the workout secrets and strategies you need to get—and stay—pumped - Get Energized

Shape, Feb, 2004 by Michelle Stacey

It's one of the most counterintuitive principles: Expend energy and you'll feel more energetic. But the truth is, even doing moderate workouts gives your body and mind a boost. "Aerobic exercise makes your heart stronger and more efficient," says Cedric X. Bryant, Ph.D., chief exercise physiologist with the American Council on Exercise in San Diego. Meanwhile, when you strengthen your muscles, you get through a normal workday with less effort. Exercise also elevates mood and improves the quality of your sleep. All of these things ultimately translate into greater energy levels. But how do you get up and go for more get up and go?

1. Start slow. First, consider that if you feel too tired to work out, it could be your mind that's fatigued, rather than your body. "Your body is probably begging for activity," says Glenn Gaesser, Ph.D.,a professor of exercise physiology at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville and co-author of The Spark: The Revolutionary New Plan to Get Fit and Lose Weight--10 Minutes at a Time (Simon & Schuster, 2001). So, start slow, says Gaesser, and that might give you the power you need to keep going.

2. Get enough. Most experts agree that 30 minutes a day of some kind of exercise is necessary to really feel a boost. But there's plenty of room for variety: You could do cardio one day, strength training the next, and yoga or Pilates the day after that. Because the latter two connect your mind with your body, Bryant notes they may produce a relaxed kind of energy.

3. Do intervals. When it comes to cardio, interval training can be especially good for energy levels, because you're getting mini rest-and-recharge periods.

Warm up for five minutes, then alternate several minutes at high intensity with several minutes at a lower intensity. Just don't do more than two challenging interval workouts a week; stagger harder days with easier days; and don't forget to cool down and stretch afterwards.

As far as intensity goes, pay more attention to the "talk test" than to heart rates, Bryant advises. If you can't speak, at least a little, while doing your cardio, you may feel tired rather than energized later.

4. Lighten up. If you're feeling worn out, Gaesser suggests you warm up with a few minutes of cardio, then do a quick circuit using lighter weights, performing one set of 10-15 reps for each move. With the resulting energy, you can go back and do a more challenging circuit, lifting heavy weights for six to 10 reps per set (to build strength) or more moderate weights for 15 reps (to build endurance). Never do more than three sets per exercise, though, Bryant says, and again, stretch afterwards.

5. Have fun! Above all, do the kind of exercise you enjoy most. "Whatever gets you to move is the exercise that will energize you," says Gaesser.

Michelle Stacey is the author of the Fasting Girl: A True Victorian Medical Mystery (Tarcher, 2002).