If you feel worn down before the workout even starts, you’re not alone. Many older adults run on “battery-saver mode,” especially under stress or chronic fatigue.
Good news: properly dosed exercise actually increases energy, not drains it.
Normal fatigue is a temporary tiredness after hard training that clears up with normal rest, boosting performance.
Overtraining is a deeper burnout from insufficient rest, nutrition and sleep. Persistent fatigue, mood issues, decreased performance, and potential injury, taking weeks or months to fix are symptoms of overtraining.
The key difference between normal fatigue and overtraining lies in duration and severity: manageable fatigue allows quick bounce-back, whereas overtraining disrupts the body’s systems, leading to chronic exhaustion and negative impacts beyond just muscles.
We’ll deal with overtraining in a future blog post. For now, use the suggestions below to help you manage normal training fatigue.
Warm-Up
Short, easy movements — like turning the key to “accessory mode” before starting the engine.
Issue-Friendly Exercises
Seated Leg Extensions
Wall Push-Ups
Lateral Arm Raises (light or zero weight)
Standing Calf Raise
Why It Works
Small victories build momentum.
Light workouts wake the system up, not shut it down.
Maintenance Note:
You’re trickle-charging the battery — not jump-starting a dead car.
