Exhausted? Get Moving!

Therese writes often on Beyond Blue about the mental health benefits of exercise, Kathy Smith has shown us the myriad benefits of a walking regimen, and we all know that both our physical and emotional bodies benefit from even a moderate workout.

A new study suggests yet another condition that can be improved by moving your body: fatigue. Whether caused by a recent bout of the flu or even cancer, fatigue--that heavy feeling of physical and mental exhaustion--makes us want to lie down and rest. But as The Boston Globe reported recently, doing so might be the worst thing you can do for your body. The Globe reports on research that shows that resting actually exacerbates the two biochemical causes of fatigue: "An excess of natural chemicals called pro-inflammatory cytokines, which the body pumps out in response to infection. And sluggish mitochondria, the tiny organelles inside cells that make energy."
It should be noted that these studies do not apply to those who suffer from chronic fatigue syndrome or depression. But for other types of fatigue, exercise can help smooth out both of these processes and help battle fatigue. Even if it's just to the corner and back, try moving a little more today, and let us know how you feel. Or share your other fatigue-fighting techniques.

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