Over the last 4 years I’ve had my share of sleepless nights thanks to my little one, but regardless of having children or not, we’ve all experienced nights when we just can’t switch off and sleep. Those nights can be incredibly frustrating when you want to keep up with your fitness goals, but are seriously lacking in energy. Here are a few strategies I’ve adopted to help keep on track with my health goals despite the lack of sleep.
1. Walk
You may not have the energy to attend your usual circuits class, but could you head out for a walk instead? Walking in my opinion is an extremely underrated form of exercise. It’s a great fat burner, gentle to do (so ideal if you’ve not had much sleep) and has many health benefits. Plus, it can give you the opportunity to get some fresh and clear your head.
2. Eat healthy
It can be tempting to reach for foods high in sugar when we feel tired, but once that sugar high has faded, you’ll be left feeling even worse than you did before. Do your best to eat healthy and nutritious foods on days when you feel exhausted and make this your goal if you’re unable to stick to your usual workout plan.
3. Make a food plan
I’ve had nights that have left me feeling sick with tiredness and on those days I’ve learnt to accept it’s ok to say ‘not today workout’. Use the time you were going to spend exercising, on meal planning and prep instead. This is a great way to keep on top of your fitness goals without causing any potential injuries attempting to exercise when you’re exhausted. Pick a new recipe to try in the week, do an online shop full of healthy foods or write down what healthy meals you can make using ingredients you’ve already got in the cupboards.
4. Catch up on cooking
Similarly to the above, if you’ve had one or more awful night’s and feel dizzy as it is, take the time off to get your energy back. If you have little ones that can help with some cooking, use it as a time to make something healthy together – it could be lunch for the day, or a healthy cake recipe. I’m a big fan of oat muffins, banana pancakes and mug cakes! Or use it as time to do some batch cooking.
5. Do a shorter workout
Only you can say whether it’s physically safe to attempt some exercise and if you do attempt it, remember it’s ok to just do a little bit. You may have set out to exercise for 45 mins, but remember you can achieve a lot in 15 minutes too. On occasions when i’ve felt a little foggy but have completed a shorter workout than normal, it has actually left me feeling pretty good and re-energised. Try an online HITT workout, a light jog or do some yoga.
6. Go back to bed
Sleep is just as vital for good health as exercising, so if you’ve had a bad night’s sleep and feel terrible, make it a priority to catch up on sleep and give yourself a rest day (or two). If you are able to have a nap then do so, or get yourself to bed early that night.