Bushed League

University of Georgia researchers Tim
Puetz and Patrick O’Connor examined volunteers who did not exercise
regularly but experienced fatigue unrelated to any medical condition.
The 36 subjects were divided into three groups. One section engaged in
low-intensity aerobic workouts on an exercise bike for 20 minutes three
times per week for six weeks. Another group’s regimen performed
moderate exercise for the same period. Couch potatoes composed the
remaining group, which served as the control.

The exercisers experienced a 20 percent
increase in energy over the control group. But the real revelation, and
the major focus of the study, came regarding feelings of fatigue. The
moderate-intensity exercisers experienced a 49 percent decrease, while
the low-intensity folks reduced their tiredness by an astounding 65
percent.

“It could be that moderate-intensity
exercise is too much for people who are already fatigued,” O’Connor
explains. “That might contribute to them not getting as great an
improvement as they would had they done low-intensity exercise.”

The study’s low-intensity exertions were
effective in relieving fatigue but would not be strenuous enough to
increase cardiac function or provide the benefits traditionally
associated with an aerobic workout. Moderate-intensity exercise, such
as fast-paced power walking, would provide improved aerobic fitness and
health benefits.

Still, if your goal is simply to relieve
everyday weariness, this study suggests about 20 minutes of simple
exercise three times per week. A stroll around the neighborhood, a
little time walking comfortably on the treadmill, or a bout of easy
activity on the elliptical trainer or exercise bike will go a long way
toward relieving fatigue and increasing energy.

“Exercise traditionally has been
associated with physical health,” Puetz concludes. “But we are quickly
learning that exercise has a more holistic effect on the human body and
includes effects on psychological health.”