Being bored and tired can leave us feeling unmotivated, unproductive, and downright miserable. But fear not! There are plenty of activities and strategies you can try to shake off the doldrums and regain your energy. So, if you find yourself in a dreary state, here are some things to do when bored and tired that will help you get back on track.
Things to Do When Bored and Tired
Finally – you put on your running shoes yesterday and felt almost euphoric after your first run of the year. But today you can hardly roll yourself out of bed. You are simply struck by good, old-fashioned comfort! What are you doing?
The result is simply sore muscles, and you’ll usually notice it 24-72 hours after hard physical work, exercise or activities you don’t normally do. If it’s been a long time since you last went for a jog, it’s therefore not inconceivable that you wake up the next day with a sore body.
But luckily there is advice. There are a number of things you can do to prevent your body from looking 20 years older the next day.
This can cause discomfort
You are likely to experience discomfort the following day if you:
- Starting an exercise or fitness program for anyone for the first time
- Added a new training exercise to your program
- Have increased the intensity of an exercise in your training program (such as increasing the number of kilograms of weights, adding more repetitions or increasing the speed)
- Performing the same activity over and over again without adequate rest
Why do you really get upset?
You are not poorly trained, even if you struggle to walk normally the next day. The good news is that everyone, including bodybuilders and professional athletes, can feel it in their bodies if they have trained hard.
The stiffness or difficulty walking is simply due to the fact that you have become stronger, so no need to worry – quite the opposite!
When you exercise at a high intensity, the extra strain leads to small, microscopic tears in the muscle fibers. These small injuries cause an inflammation-like condition in the muscles 24-72 hours after hard training.
This is what you know as stiffness in the muscles.
Fortunately, the muscle fibers have an ability to repair themselves, thus you become bigger and stronger than you were before the intensive training session or activity.
That way, your muscles are prepared to be exposed to a possible new jog, and next time you will probably also feel less stiff!
How to prevent fatigue?
There are a number of things you can do to prevent the feeling of getting old overnight. Here you will get 8 effective advice against boredom.
- Anti-inflammatory foods
More research is needed, but some studies show that foods that are rich in antioxidants can help with gait disturbances and stiffness.
For example, watermelon is rich in an amino acid called L-citrulline.
Studies from 2013 and 2017 found that this type of amino acid can reduce recovery heart rate and muscle soreness.
Food rich in antioxidants should therefore be able to prevent muscle soreness,
According to the same studies, other types of anti-inflammatory foods should also be promising against fatigue:
- Cherry juice
- Pineapple
- Ginger
It can also be beneficial to eat fish oil and other types of omega-3 fatty acids.
- The effect of milk protein
Something as pure and natural as milk protein can be one of the best things you can drink to prevent overeating. In a study from 2017, it was found that supplements of milk protein can help.
Milk protein concentrate is a concentrated type of milk product that contains 40 to 90 percent milk protein. It is used in food and drink enriched with protein, but can also be bought in powder form.
- Heat therapy
If you apply heat to the exposed muscle groups immediately after exercise, you should also be able to delay stiffness. In a study from 2012, it was found that both dry and moist heat had a good effect, but that moist heat was most effective.
You can do this:
- Place a warm, damp towel on the muscles
- If necessary, buy heat packs to put on
- Take a warm bath or a few minutes in the sauna
A trip to the sauna is good for muscles and joints
- Cold therapy
Also the opposite, putting cold on the muscles and joints should be able to reduce walking disability and stiffness.
You can use an ice pack or a bag of frozen vegetables, or, if you’re feeling extra bold – take an ice bath.
In any case, you should not apply ice directly to the skin. Preferably place a towel between the ice and the skin.
- Heard about foam rollers?
Foam roller, or foam roller in Norwegian, is a cylinder-shaped roller made of foam rubber that is available in countless versions and shapes.
These are especially effective when you need to massage yourself.
Research shows that foam rolling can relieve muscle stiffness . Not least, it should also be able to give you more flexibility.
This is what you do:
Place the roller on the floor and under the muscles you have trained. Roll your body slowly back and forth over the roller. Feel free to do some searches on YouTube, there are many videos that describe how to use a foam roller.
If you prefer to be massaged, it is also effective to get a massage. Studies from 2017 show that massage is most effective if you get it 48 hours after exercise.
Foam rollers hurt, but are effective in preventing stiffness in the muscles
- Exercise more!
Pain must drive pain away: If you can bear it, you can simply train more!
Remember that sore muscles are in no way dangerous, and don’t let it stop you from exercising more. Stiffness is a natural process because the body has to get used to the training. But once you’ve damaged your muscle fibers, it won’t get worse unless you increase the intensity.
If the muscles have become particularly sore, you can train at a lower intensity or focus on other muscle groups for a day or two.
- Stretching – a myth?
For years we have learned that we must not forget to stretch after a training session, to prevent injury and discomfort.
But a 2011 study found that stretching after exercise had little or no effect on post-exercise stiffness.
In fact, the conclusion of the study was this: Regardless of whether you stretched before, after or during the actual session, you would not be able to prevent muscle soreness.
Is there really any point in stretching after the run?
A later study from 2012 found that static stretching of the muscles does not help with muscle stiffness. Static stretching involves stretching the muscle so that it tightens, and holds the position for anything from 10 seconds to up to several minutes.
Dynamic stretching, on the other hand, is when you move back and forth between a tight and relaxed state. This should be all the more effective. What happens during dynamic stretching is that you increase your heart rate and improve blood flow and flexibility.
Good exercises are rolling on the arms and doing lunges.
- End with a quiet session
A good tip is to cool down the body with a simple aerobic exercise, such as a walk or jog. This will ensure that you regain normal breathing and heart rate.
It can also help the blood to flow more easily through the newly trained muscles, which is good for recovery – and can potentially also prevent stiffness.
Therefore, try to include a leisurely walk, jog or bike ride for 5 or 10 minutes after you have trained intensively.
How much discomfort can you tolerate?
In any case, remember that training should be fun, it may be that you give a lot when you train:
- If the discomfort after training prevents you from carrying out daily activities such as going to the shops, or in the worst case you cannot get to work, you have probably given the iron too much.
- The same if the discomfort lasts more than 72 hours
- It is also not normal if the stiffness begins during the actual training or immediately afterwards. Remember that exercise should not hurt .
Keep your body moving.
So far, we have looked at a number of good measures that can prevent muscle fatigue after exercise.
But if you want to give your muscles and joints extra attention, Flex5x is a Norwegian-developed dietary supplement that contains, among other things, vitamin K2, vitamin C and vitamin D. Vitamin K2 helps to maintain normal bones. Vitamin D also helps to maintain normal bones and muscle function. Vitamin C contributes to normal collagen formation, which is important for the normal function of the bones. Boswellia serrata can contribute to comfortable joints. Manganese can help maintain strong bones.
When boredom and fatigue strike, it can be challenging to find the motivation to overcome them. However, with a little creativity and a willingness to try new things, you can beat the boredom blues and regain your energy. So, the next time you find yourself in a state of boredom and tiredness, refer back to this list and give these activities a try. You might just find yourself feeling rejuvenated and ready to take on the world once again!