How Friendly Fitness is Fighting Off Fatigue

Grab a mate, social fitness might be the best combination for conquering tiredness and recharging your energy levels for 2024. In a recent article published by the Guardian, Hattie Garlick combines research determining that vigorous exercise and socialisation are 2 of the best quick fixes to remedy lack of energy. In her article, she cites a study published in Psychological Science that tests the impacts of food deprivation vs social isolation. The result found that social contact greatly improves energy levels. 

"Social isolation seems to be causally related to a reduction of energy levels and increase in fatigue which is similar to that created by food deprivation," determines Giorgia Silani, who directed the study at the University of Vienna. This means that socialising in a fun, relaxed setting is certainly a quick anecdote to digging yourself out of a workday slump. Joining an exercise class or fitness group might be even better.  

Garlick sites Emmanuel Stamatakis, a professor at Sydney University who says,  "When physical activity declines, sleep suffers." For those stuck in bed at night, struggling to unwind from the pressures of the day, just 30 minutes of exercise a day could contribute to a more restful sleep. Not exercising may have a negative impact on sleep, but what about our cardiovascular health?

"Exercise helps to neutralise some dangers sleeplessness poses to our health, such as a raised risk of heart disease or cancer mortality," Stamatakis says. His research indicates that engaging in short intervals of intense exercise is accompanied by enormous health benefits, better sleep and recharged energy. Boosting mood and energy levels also relies on targeting our happy hormones.
 
Author of "Habits of a happy brain", Loretta Breuning, discusses that exercise increases our serotonin, dopamine and endorphin levels, hormones essential to happiness. There are several easy ways to hack these happy hormones. Soaking up sunlight outside boosts serotonin production, laughing with a friend increases endorphin release and listening to music produces dopamine. 

Fitness classes are popular for their nature of combining short, accessible workouts with the social element of completing the class with a group of people under a qualified instructor. This could include boxing classes, HIT, strength sessions, running intervals, yoga or pilates. Fitness classes are an excellent way to have fun with friends, meet new people and establish a sense of community through exercise. An hour group class hits 2 quick fatigue fixes at once, if you add music and an outdoor setting to this, you have 4 great ways to combat tiredness.

So grab your yoga mats and head down to your local gym lets work smarter together, not harder! 

Read Hattie Harlick's Guardian article here