Fatigue is one of the most common problems brought to doctors, friends, and relatives. You'd think in this era of labor-saving devices and convenient transportation that few people... Fatigue is one of the most common problems brought to doctors, friends, and relatives. You'd think in this era of labor-saving devices and convenient transportation that few people would have reason to be tired. But probably more people complain of fatigue today than in the days when hay was baled by hand and laundry scrubbed on a washboard. The causes of modern-day fatigue are diverse and only rarely related to physical exertion. The relatively few people who do heavy labor all day long almost never complain about being tired. Today, physicians report, tiredness is more likely a result of under-exertion than of over-activity. In fact, increased physical activity is often prescribed for lowering energy. There is a great deal you can do on your part to deal with both severe fatigue and those periodic washed-out feelings. Vitamins and tranquilizers are almost never the right answer, sleeping pills and alcohol are counterproductive, and caffeine is at best a temporary solution that can backfire with abuse and cause life-disrupting symptoms of anxiety. Instead, you might try exercise. Contrary to what you may think, exercise relieves rather than saps energy. Regular conditioning exercises, such as jogging, cycling, or swimming, help you resist fatigue by increasing your body’s ability to handle more of a workload. You get tired less quickly because your capability is greater. Exercise also has a well-recognized tranquilizing effect, which helps you to work in a more relaxed fashion and be less dragged down by the tensions of your day. At the end of a day exercise can relieve accumulated tensions, give you more energy in the evening, and help you to sleep more restfully. Read more