Quick answer: Why do women feel tired all the time?
Intense daily workouts during midlife can trigger cortisol spikes that lead to exhaustion and weight gain. As women approach perimenopause, pushing too hard at the gym while managing daily stress causes the body to panic and store belly fat.
Integrative medicine expert Dr. Amy Shah suggests that resetting your nervous system, rather than pushing through extreme diets or grueling cardio, is the key to balancing hormones, shedding stubborn fat, and reclaiming your energy.
- Manage Cortisol Levels: Avoid overtraining to prevent stress hormones from storing midsection fat and disrupting your sleep.
- Change Your Routine: Adopt a 4-3-2-1 movement framework that balances strength training with proper recovery instead of daily intense cardio.
- Improve Gut Health: Eat fiber and fermented foods to build a strong foundation for sustainable estrogen balance.
- Prioritize Sleep: Use restful sleep as your primary anti-aging tool to naturally stabilize cortisol and reduce chronic fatigue.
Exhausted, wired, and gaining weight? Doctor reveals why your intense daily workouts may be backfiring.
Millions of women are hitting the gym harder than ever, eating right, and still waking up at 3 a.m. feeling completely wired and exhausted.
If you are wondering why the health formula that worked in your 20s and 30s is suddenly failing, you are not alone.
Double board-certified MD and integrative medicine doctor Dr. Amy Shah recently sat down for an interview on the A Really Good Cry podcast to explain why so many women feel dismissed by modern healthcare.
The hidden culprit behind that stubborn belly fat and chronic fatigue might not be a lack of willpower, but rather an overload of the stress hormone cortisol.
High Cortisol Levels Make You Tired
As women approach midlife and perimenopause, intense daily workouts can actually send their bodies into a state of panic. Pushing yourself to the limit when you are already stressed from work or family life can trigger massive cortisol spikes.
This hormonal response tells the body to store fat, particularly around the midsection, and often leads to those frustrating middle-of-the-night wake-ups.
There is no single "magic fix" for balancing hormones, but supporting your nervous system is the critical first step. In her newly released book, Hormone Havoc, Dr. Shah breaks down exactly how stress shapes our daily health and what we can do to fix it without extreme diets or punishing trends.
3 Simple Changes to Reclaim Your Energy
To help women reclaim their energy and independence, Dr. Shah recommends a practical reset that works with your body's changing needs.
- Adopt the 4-3-2-1 movement framework: Shift away from daily intense cardio that backfires on your metabolism. Dr. Shah suggests a strategic weekly mix of strength and recovery to build resilience and longevity rather than constantly fighting your body.
- 4 days of movement that you like
- 3 days of weight training
- 2 heat therapy (heated yoga, sauna, etc.)
- 1 sprint
- Focus on gut health: Gut health and nutrition play a major role in hormone balance. Nourishing your gut with fiber and fermented foods provides a foundation for sustainable estrogen balance.
- Prioritize sleep: Ultimately, getting proper sleep remains the most underrated anti-aging tool available. When combined with managing your daily stress load, restful sleep naturally stabilizes cortisol levels.
Listening to your body and questioning what you have been taught to tolerate will provide a much more sustainable path to feeling vibrant as you age.
Watch the full episode to understand how cortisol affects your energy levels and explore some simple remedies below:
28 comments
That was very informative. I always thought it was because women work 10 times harder than me do.
ReplyDeleteA lot of great information here! I think people miss that they need fiber in their diet when there's such a push for protein and no carbs. Complex carbs are important for our diet and fiber is often overlooked. I try to incorporate both.
ReplyDeleteGreat post with a lot of valuable information. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteThis is useful information for women who are in this situation.
ReplyDeleteI am past that stage already, but I do sleep poorly occasionally, that has mainly to do with the position of the moon.
All the best, Irma
Exercise is also vital as you enter your 60's and 70's, and the best time to prepare your body for aging is in your younger years. I totally agree with the sleep information, too. Alana ramblinwitham.blogspot.com
ReplyDeleteI really should start weight training
ReplyDeleteI appreciate this article, dear Lux! I have already shared it with Mrs. Shady and urged her to share it with her daughter and with our granddaughter. The latter will soon be age 30. The toll that chronic stress and lack of proper sleep take on the body is significant and should not be ignored. In today's world, with the kind of lives most people lead, it presents a genuine challenge to keep those two enemies of wellness under control. The principles outlined here also remind us that too much of a good thing, such as pushing through intense workouts while coping with daily stress, can cause a surge in the cortisol hormone leading to results that are the opposite of what were intended. The conscientious, well meaning, fitness minded woman fights a losing "Battle of the Bulge" at the gym.
ReplyDeleteI am sure this essay will help many women, Lux. Thanks for posting it. See you on April 1, dear friend!
Love the article, Lux! Great information!
ReplyDeleteA most informative post. I didn't know this.
ReplyDeleteHave a fabulous day and rest of the week, Lux. ♥
Uma informação preciosa para que padece desse problema e que terá, assim, um bom princÃpio para a sua resolução.
ReplyDeleteAbraço de amizade.
Juvenal Nunes
This is really interesting to me and the tips mentioned are really good ones and very easy to incorporate into one's routine. Thanks for that and also for stopping by my blog too!
ReplyDeleteExcellent post. Very informative.
ReplyDeleteDear Lux, this is a very helpful, informative post. Thank you so much for sharing, dear friend.
ReplyDeleteGood advices !
ReplyDeleteHave a nice day !
Anna
That's great information, thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteI'm tired on some days more than others, but most of the time it has to do with a chaotic day that I've had. I hope March is being kind to you so far. Have a splendid week.
ReplyDeleteThis is a very interesting perspective! I think menopausal weight gain is multifactorial. Great food for thought!
ReplyDeleteThis was really informative! Great post!
ReplyDeletethanks for sharing this. really helpful!
ReplyDeletexoxo, rae
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The answer is because I've suffered from insomnia for 20 years! LOL. Really, though, this is a good post full of useful information.
ReplyDeleteThis is such a relatable and important topic—I love how directly it speaks to something so many women experience but don’t always talk about. It immediately draws you in and makes you want to understand the “why” behind it.
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Fatigue is always a signal from the body and shouldn't be ignored.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the tip, Lux! I have been tired and sleepy these past few months even though it's not that "time of the month" and I don't know why. I kept chugging coffee just to make up for it, but it led to hyperacidity. It's the worst. I wish I've seen this post before.
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Great post, Lux! I definitely want to start incorporating heat therapy into my routine. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteIn our day and age, fatigue seems so easy to pile up. We need to all take care of each other! Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteGreat post and wonderful useful information. Cortisol really can play havoc in our bodies,
ReplyDeleteGreat advice here--I love how we are starting to learn so much more about the menopause transition!
ReplyDeleteIt seems people can tire after a meal like lunch ... when the food from carbs etc goes to our stomaches ... so it's good info to eat the right healthy things.
ReplyDelete