Low energy and fatigue become common after the age of 50. It manifests as achy muscles, an all-over tired feeling in the morning, or in a subtler way—as a lack of motivation for the activities you used to like.
Fatigue may be a sign of more serious health issues. According to a 2010 study published in The Journals of Gerontology, there’s a strong link between feeling tired, disabilities, mental health, and mortality rate. Scientists found that 75-year-old adults, living in Norway and Finland, who experience fatigue had twice more chance of becoming disabled within the next five years compared to those who didn’t have such complaints. Fatigue was also associated with loneliness and subsequent depression.
The good news is that a few lifestyle changes will bring your vitality and energy back to age-defying levels.
How does age affect energy levels?
Evidence suggests that energy levels peak in young adolescence (15-18 y.o.), slowly decline and plateau in middle age (19-50 y.o.), and then visibly drop after the age of 50. Aging affects several factors related to our vitality.
Energy levels are relative to the body mass and composition. People with more metabolically active tissue—muscle mass and vital organs like the liver, brain, heart, and kidneys,—have higher resting energy expenditure. In older adults, weight and particularly muscle mass tend to decline lowering the amount of energy they need at rest.
Age-related changes in the cardiovascular system limit the heart muscle’s pumping ability, reducing the flow of oxygen-rich blood that provides energy to the cells.
On the cellular level, there’s a dropdown in mitochondria which function as powerhouses of biological tissues.
Finally, the reasons for the energy slumps include hormonal change (menopause for women and testosterone drop for men), unbalanced diet, lack of exercise, and excess weight.
How to get energy back at 50?
A meta-research of 70 randomized, controlled trials with a total of 6,807 participants showed that regular exercise plays a significant role in increasing energy levels and reducing fatigue. Scientists from the University of Georgia found that in 90% of analyzed studies participants who did regular exercise programs reported improved fatigue compared to sedentary groups.
Exercise helps us metabolize energy more efficiently in several ways:
- Physical activity helps more oxygen-rich blood move around your body to nourish the tissues.
- Exercise increases the number of mitochondria responsible for creating energy in cells.
- The release of endorphins, dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin during the training also boosts energy.
- It helps to reduce stress and improves your sleep giving your body time to regenerate.
7 easy ways to boost energy with exercise
When you’re feeling low, usually you can’t find motivation for exercise. To overcome this challenge, it’s crucial to make physical activity an integral part of your lifestyle, find your enjoyable routines, and increase movement variety. These 7 fatigue-zapping tips will help you seamlessly include more physical activity in your life and see your energy levels soar.
1. Try exercise snacking
Even a few minutes of movement daily prevents dips in energy levels. An experiment at California State University showed that a simple brisk 10-minute walk increased energy for up to 2 hours.
Interval training is one of the most effective energy boosters—mainly because it accelerates metabolism and leads to a massive release of endorphins in the shortest time.
Reduced Exertion HIIT (REHIT)—the shortest and most effective HIIT variation—will make you feel more energized in as little as 5 minutes. 2x all-out 20-second sprints flip the metabolic switch and promote mitochondria growth, as well as promoting significant cardiovascular and metabolic health benefits.
CAROL Bike is the only bike fully optimized for REHIT— making it simple, effective, and safe. It provides the shortest, most effective workouts suitable for any age and fitness level thanks to its built-in AI personalization. CAROL is scientifically proven to deliver superior health and fitness benefits compared to regular cardio exercise—in 90% less time.
Find out more about the science behind CAROL Bike, here.
CAROL is scientifically proven to make you develop more mitochondria, increase blood plasma volume, and make your heart stronger. Resulting in increased aerobic and anaerobic capacity.
2. Include more physical activity in your routine
There are plenty of opportunities to incorporate more movement into your daily living. As mentioned earlier, a simple walk outdoors will give you a powerful energy boost. Other daily activities like walking the stairs, vacuum cleaning, gardening, hiking, or carrying groceries can all sum up to 150 minutes of exercise per week, as recommended by NHS guidelines. Adopting a more active lifestyle not only will increase your vitality, but also add a few extra years to your lifespan.
3. Opt for low-impact activities
With age, certain health issues such as back or knee pain may keep you from doing your favorite physical activities. But this doesn’t mean that you can’t find an alternative!
Instead of doing high-impact sports like running or playing basketball, you can opt for low-impact activities like cycling or swimming. They will bring you similar health benefits while being gentle to your joints.
In fact, some research shows that a gentle, low-intensity exercise is more beneficial for fatigue than an intense workout.
During a 6-week randomized controlled trial at the University of Georgia, 36 participants reporting fatigue were divided into 3 groups. The first group performed a 20-minute moderately-intensity aerobic exercise 3x per week, the second one performed low-intensity workouts for the same period, whilst a control group did not do any exercise.
Both active groups showed a 20% increase in energy levels at the end of the study compared to the control group. However, the second group reported a 65% drop in fatigue compared to 49% in the first group.
CAROL Bike offers low-intensity Zone 2 cardio training, perfect for your overall well-being.
4. Practice outdoor physical activity whenever you can
Working out in greenery is a great way to boost your motivation. Many people find outdoor sports activities more enjoyable and less strenuous than indoor. A 2013 research suggests that people practicing outdoor sports tend to exercise at a greater intensity and report less exertion.
The main reason for improved well-being is oxygen and sunlight exposure, vital for energy levels and mood. More oxygen nourishes your brain, which helps you feel energized and improves your ability to concentrate and remember information. The sunlight provides you with vitamin D and regulates your circadian rhythm so you sleep better at night.
5. Do resistance training
Sarcopenia, or muscle loss, is one of the most significant reasons why adults feel tired as they grow older. The sarcopenia onsets as early as in our 40s when we start feeling that our stamina diminishes and usual activities become more tiresome.
Strength training is the cornerstone of any exercise program after 40. In addition to maintaining muscle mass, resistance exercise improves bone density preventing osteoporosis, and improves seniors’ performance at everyday tasks in later decades.
6. Stay active every day
Regarding physical activity, regularity is more important than training volume. Adopting an active lifestyle and committing to short, daily exercise is the best way to fight fatigue and stay energized.
Studies show a direct correlation between perceived fatigue and sedentary time. People who spend a lot of time sitting report that they have no energy to exercise which, in turn, creates a vicious cycle. On the contrary, as little as 22 minutes of physical activity per day is enough to counteract extended sedentary periods during the day, according to another research.
That’s why it’s important to build a simple fitness habit that lasts to keep your energy high. With CAROL Bike, you will get a substantial energy boost and health benefits training for just 5 minutes, 3x a week.
7. Add nutrients to support your energy levels
Healthy eating helps to maintain your energy level but there are specific nutrients pivotal for metabolism and energy production. You can include these supplements in your diet to make it well-rounded:
- Iron is involved in multiple vital metabolic processes, including oxygen transmission, regulation of enzyme activity, and DNA synthesis and repair
- Magnesium is essential for the synthesis of nucleic acids and proteins, for intermediary metabolism, and for specific actions in different organs such as the neuromuscular and cardiovascular systems.
- Group B vitamins help convert carbohydrates and fats into energy, create new blood cells, and maintain healthy skin cells, brain cells, and other body tissues. Any B vitamin deficiency can negatively affect the mitochondrial metabolism of amino acids, glucose, and fatty acids.
- Acetyl L-carnitine is found in fat metabolism for energy and transporting fatty acids to the mitochondria.
- Vitamin C helps to transport fatty acids to cells, facilitates iron absorption, and functions as a powerful antioxidant, reducing oxidative stress.
Conclusion
A healthy lifestyle that incorporates regular exercise and a balanced diet is the best way to maintain age-defying energy levels. CAROL Bike is an indispensable tool in organizing your daily routine because it allows you to form a fitness habit that fits seamlessly into your schedule.
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All our experts have MSCs in Exercise Science, and they’re here to answer your questions. Whether it’s about the science behind CAROL Bike, or general fitness advice, whatever’s on your mind—we’re here for you.
