The Effects of Exercising When Exhausted

When you've committed to a workout regimen, it can sometimes be hard to allow yourself to take a break. Maybe you think you should push through your exhaustion and get on that treadmill. It turns out, though, this isn't always the best idea. Sure, skipping the gym could break your streak, but working out when you're sleep deprived can potentially have negative effects on you and your health.

  1. Better Sleep Schedule

    • Ironically, exercise can actually improve the quality and length of your sleep and decrease exhaustion. According to the National Sleep Foundation, there is a direct relationship between regular exercise and better sleep. Although working out won't necessarily guarantee more hours of sleep, exercisers tend to feel less tired than nonexercisers on similar sleep schedules.

    Decreased Alertness

    • If you're sleep deprived, going to the gym can actually be dangerous. "New York Magazine" suggests skipping your workout if you've lost as little as six hours of sleep a week. A symptom of sleep deprivation is decreased alertness, says Cornell University, which could result in injury. Your cognition is impaired so you might not be paying enough attention to what you're doing and could end up hurting yourself by accident. For example, if you're not conscious of your strides on the treadmill, you could roll your ankle.

    Performance Suffers

    • If you're exhausted when you work out, your performance will suffer, says Cornell University. You might not run as fast as you usually do or lift weight as much as you know you can. If you've only lost a few hours of sleep, this isn't necessarily the end of the world, although you might not have the best workout. However, if you're sleep deprived, it's not a bad idea to swap the gym for a nap.

    Possible Weight Gain

    • If you're losing sleep because you want to make time to exercise, you could actually end up gaining more weight. Lack of sleep affects the hormones that help you regulate your appetite, so it's possible that you'll actually eat more than you would have if you were well rested, explains Cornell University. If your goal is to exercise to lose or maintain your weight, it's OK to hit the snooze button every once in a while.