Some Thoughts on an Intricate Subject

“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking that created them.”

— Albert Einstein

You may have learned the scientific and medical definition of biochemical energy in high school. If you forgot, here are the CliffsNotes: the mitochondria within each of our cells use macronutrients like fats and carbohydrates to produce ATP, which provides the chemical basis for energy throughout our body. And you might be surprised to learn that it is absolutely possible, and useful, with Zone 2 training and HIIT training to increase both the number and quality of mitochondria within us, so we have a more abundant source of that chemical energy to call on. The same goes for V02 Max and Heart Rate Variability, 2 other energy potential measurements. Yet how we experience energy on any given day is not so simple or cut-and-dry. In my experience it is a much more complex weave of physical, emotional, and experiential dynamics, and they all deserve to have some light shed on them.

Feeling tired or not feeling like doing something probably has very little to do with the amount of ATP you have available to use in your body. In my experience there is no one aspect that is a regular feature of “I’m too tired” or “I don’t feel like it.” There is definitely an element of physical tiredness, for instance, if I did a big workout or did something else physically challenging the day before. Or maybe I haven’t drunk enough water and am slightly dehydrated, which has always been one factor for me and is easily tested by drinking a glass of water and waiting 10 minutes to see if I feel refreshed. Or perhaps I didn’t get enough sleep the night before, or I stayed up too late, or I had a bit too much alcohol. (Needing a “pick me up” in the form of a sugary treat or caffeinated drink is probably not a great way to address tiredness.)

There are valid reasons for taking it easy. The questions are, though: “Are they really valid?” and “Am I just being lazy?” Are we just using those “reasons” as an excuse for our own resistance to exercise, to change, or to get something done. I have found this subject to be a useful exploration of my own inner dynamics, both physical and emotional. When it comes to energy and resistance, I often ask myself, “What are my reasons for feeling tired—and are those reasons valid?”

A trip to the gym: To go or not to go, that was the question!

On one of those days when I “didn’t feel like it” I explored a few options, not with sheer willpower but by benevolently experimenting with myself to see what would happen. I had done a High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) session the day before, but my Heart Rate Variability (HRV) reading that morning was, appropriately, right around 60 and well balanced between sympathetic and parasympathetic, indicating I was good to go from an internal physical readiness standpoint. So, after a morning of writing and a 10-minute power nap, I got myself ready for another trip to the gym to see how things would go that day. I promised myself that if I still felt tired once I started moving, I would stop.

On the way to the gym I did drink a double espresso (old habits die hard!), but it didn’t seem to wake me up. Just before I got on the treadmill for a Zone 2 workout, I downed the equivalent of a big glass of water from my water bottle. Staying aware of my energy was my main concern as I began walking on the treadmill, careful to stay at a comfortable pace well below anything taxing. During the first 10 minutes I slowly increased my speed and incline to my regular Zone 2 level of around 4 mph on a 2-3% incline, guided by my heartrate and “conversational” comfort. (In Zone 2 workouts, you want to be able to hold a conversation. If you can’t, you are working too hard and need to take it down a notch.) Once I warmed up and got going this level didn’t feel taxing at all. I surprised myself by doing 30 minutes at that speed and then moved to a stationary bike for another 30 minutes at the same Zone 2 heartrate.

If I had pushed myself like I usually do, I could have done more, either more Zone 2 or a short strength or yoga session. However, that extra push often results in extra recovery time for me. Given the HIIT workout the day before and my “experiment” today, I did a few minutes of gentle yoga stretching and called it quits for the day, with a feeling of accomplishment, benevolence, and having learned something extra about how “having energy” works for me, at least for that day. It doesn’t always work this way but more often than not, once I get moving my resistance fades.

So, where does the energy within us really come from?

Is it biochemical, physical, or emotional? While I’m certain that biochemical and physical aspects play a prominent role in our day-to-day energy level, based on my experiment, it seems that where we happen to be emotionally can play a surprisingly large role in our daily energy level. On my gym day, instead of mustering the motivation to move through a Zone 2 workout, I could have thrown in the towel and indulged in a lazy day, giving in to my feelings of “I feel tired” and “I don’t feel like going to the gym today.” However, my self-experiment rewarded me with a satisfying workout and a bit of insight. In this case, my lack of energy might have been a combination of physical and emotional, which I was able to address and overcome, and I felt good about my accomplishment.

What about you? How do you experience energy or the lack of it? Do you experiment with it or just accept it? It is, after all, the key ingredient to staying healthy and alive. I’d love to hear your stories!