Firstly, your health is everything. Without a healthy functioning mind and body, you are unable to make the most of life and be the best you can be. If fatigue and tiredness is slowing you down, you need to look at your diet, your exercise regime, your living conditions, and your working conditions. If this condition has persisted for longer than 2 weeks, make an appointment to see your doctor.

Tiredness can be caused by a variety of things. The most common factors are:

• Sleep deprivation
• Iron deficiency
• Fatigue/ Exhaustion
• Lack of red meat
• Stress
• Blood sugar fluctuation
• Caffeine withdrawal
• Sickness

Amazingly, exercise has been shown to boost energy levels and combat tiredness. Of course, the hardest thing to do is exercise when you’re already exhausted! Lucky for us, when we exercise, the body releases endorphins and adrenaline. The outcome is that we are left feeling energised, awake, and invigorated.

If you are exercising in an attempt to increase energy levels, but are still feeling tired and not achieving the best outcomes with your training, review the following questions:

1. How many hours sleep are you getting a night? Do you have a sleep pattern? Is it regular or irregular?

2. How many meals do you have a day? Are they regular and frequent? What do they consist of? Are you getting the right amounts of protein, iron, vitamins and minerals to supplement your training?

3. What are your work hours like? How much recovery time do you have to yourself, to recharge your batteries? Do you take breaks in the middle of the day?

4. Reflect on how much sugar is in your diet. Do you suffer from energy highs and lows?

5. Are you run down? Are you showing any symptoms of illness?

Hopefully asking these questions will help you ascertain where the problem lies. If not, give exercise a break for a while, and have a chat with your doctor. If you happen to be sick, exercise will not be beneficial and will place more strain on the immune system, prolonging recovery.