This New Year, Fight Fatigue and Find Happy

By — Mariska

You’ve sworn that this is the year that you’re going to get back into shape! Sure, you’ve said it before, and it hasn’t worked out. You’re busy with work and kids (often that’s the same thing). You have to make dinner (breakfast, lunch, snacks) or run the kids (husband, mother, in-law) to the doctor (game, daycare, meeting).

People often ask me if I work out every day. I created a fitness brand, after all. I work at a Pilates studio that offers more than 50 classes/week. I even have a second studio in my house. So, the answer? Of course not. I face the same issues/constraints/challenges that everyone else does, but the number one thing keeping me from working out? I’m kinda tired. A lot of the time.

I work 60+ hours a week (teaching, working on studio stuff, plus freelance work and a lot of writing). My typical day starts around 8 a.m. and ends around 9 p.m. Although I have no children of my own, I do have an adorable 2 year old nephew and I can tell you after just a couple of hours alone with him, I’m ready to put myself down for a nap. So, I can imagine how tiring it is to have kids full-time.

Fatigue isn’t a passing condition for most modern men and women. It’s a normal state of being.

But one of the best remedies for fatigue is exercise.

Studies have shown that sedentary people can reduce fatigue by a whopping 65% when engaging in regular, low-intensity exercise. Although you might think you’re too tired to work out, that workout is exactly the cure you need.

Even though I don’t exercise every single day, when I’m feeling really tired, I don’t take a nap. I take a walk. Or I do some Pilates or some yoga. I’ll make the time to workout because I guarantee that my productivity will increase exponentially for the rest of the day once I get my blood flowing.

An added bonus? Exercise helps you sleep better (more sleep = less fatigue the following day).

Finding an exercise you love can also boost your levels of the happy hormone serotonin. In fact, scientists have found that exercise might be just as effective as anti-depressants.

If that’s not enough of an argument for you, exercise reduces your risk for countless diseases, and strong is the new sexy. Fit people look younger and happier than their sedentary counterparts.

How do you start an exercise program, though?

First, find something you enjoy doing. If you don’t like doing it, it will feel like work (and you already work enough). Find a friend and bring him/her with you if you’re feeling intimidated. And, if you’re worried about trying something new, check out this post from one of our students who found her community in a fitness class.

Second, when you get home from work, don’t sit down. Work out then. Or work out in the morning. The important thing is that you don’t sit down. Turn on the TV, and you’re done. Game over – you are in for the night.

In my experience, the hardest part of working out is putting on your shoes to walk out the door to a class or for a jog. Of course, you can always also work out at home. There are countless videos out there for almost every kind of workout. I actually began my Pilates and yoga practice at home, and then when I felt more confident that I knew what to expect, I tried a class. Get over the first step (tying your shoes or getting on your mat), and before you know it, you’re working out.

Think about it like this – you manage to find time (most days) for a shower. Start thinking about your fitness as an equally important part of self-care. You’ll be less tired, and you’ll find even more time to take care of you. Try that on for a New Year’s Resolution.

-Mariska

Stay hard core.

About Fuse Pilates

Fuse Pilates, developed in 2005 by fitness expert Mariska Breland, builds on traditional Pilates exercises and teaching styles with an original, fun, and highly effective twist on Pilates mat and apparatus classes. Prompted by the growing popularity of the Fuse Pilates method, Breland partnered with Roxanna Hakimi and Sormeh Youssefieh to open the Fuse Pilates Playground in Washington DC’s trendy Dupont Circle neighborhood in June 2011. Each Fuse class is different, uniquely customized to student requests and choreographed to upbeat music. Classes offer an intense yet approachable method of mat, tower, reformer and chair instruction, along with private coaching and wellness counseling for beginner to expert levels. Fuse Pilates' highly trained and experienced instructors concentrate on 360 degrees of the body to shape and create beautifully-toned physiques while promoting overall health and wellness. To learn more about Fuse Pilates visit http://www.fusepilates.com/.

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