It’s a big mistake to associate fatigue with aging.

Burnout is an increasingly common symptom in our society, affecting all social classes and all age groups equally. In fact, there are already those who have dubbed our society a “fatigue society.” This fatigue is bothersome when you are young or still in early adulthood. However, as we age, this fatigue becomes much more normal, as if after a certain age it was normal to be more tired.

According to a study published in 2010 in a scientific journal Gerontology Journals, At age 70, the prevalence of fatigue is 29%, from which point it begins to increase uncontrollably. At age 78, 53% of the population experiences fatigue. By 85.68%. Fatigue is also, according to other studies, the main reason people over 70 give for not exercising. 65% justify it.

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However, according to the experts interviewed, fatigue and exhaustion should never be the norm. “Fatigue does not go away with age, quite the opposite. In fact, we should feel as much as possible,” says Dr. José Serres Márquez, president of the Spanish Society of Anti-Aging and Longevity Medicine (SEMAL). His opinion is shared by Dr. José Augusto García Navarro, President of the Spanish Society of Geriatrics and Gerontology (SEGG), who emphasizes that when an older person feels that he lacks strength and feels tired, especially if it interferes with his daily routine and regarding the quality of your life, you need to consult your family doctor.

“These circumstances always need to be studied because underneath there may be a debilitating disease such as fibromyalgia, kidney infection, diabetes, thyroid problems, depression… Or even certain medications or a combination of them causing the problem,” says Garcia Navarro .

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The advice is not trivial. According to a study that followed nearly 1,000 75-year-old adults in Norway and Finland for five years, people who feel persistently tired during daily activities have a significantly higher risk of becoming disabled. And according to a study published in Gerontology Journals As noted above, hazard ratios for mortality among study participants who reported feeling tired were significantly higher, even after adjusting for multiple risk factors.

Ways to Increase Energy and Reduce Feelings of Fatigue

In case of continued fatigue, it became clear that a doctor’s consultation was necessary. Under no circumstances should this fatigue be normalized. In any case, in addition to medical prescriptions, experts offer a number of tips to increase energy and reduce the feeling of fatigue. Success, as always, lies behind the pillars of a healthy lifestyle: nutrition, exercise, relaxation and social life.

Mediterranean diet supplemented as needed

“The only thing that has been proven by science to allow us to live longer is being thin. There is no obese person who will live to be a hundred years old,” says José Serres. And to stay slim, experts agree, there’s nothing better than following a Mediterranean diet that’s low in fatty foods and refined and ultra-processed sugars; and with a good contribution of proteins of plant and animal origin. And if necessary, the president of SEMAL points out, supplement this diet. “With age, absorption worsens, slows down, and often we do not get the required amount of direct ingredients from food. But you don’t have to take supplements for good reasons. You need to see a doctor, preferably one who specializes in aging, so he can give you a good balance on all levels,” he explains.

The only thing science has proven that allows us to live longer is being thin.

Jose Serres MarquezPresident of the Spanish Society of Medicine against Aging and Longevity (SEMAL)

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Multicomponent physical exercises

A person, says José Augusto García Navarro, gains muscle mass until about age 30; and from there he starts losing. First, up to age 50, in a less obvious way. And since then much faster. To reduce these losses and slow them down, exercise is necessary. As SEGG’s president points out, you can take the stairs and run errands whenever possible, but that’s not enough. “It is very important to do multi-component exercise that combines intense aerobic exercise (walking, for example, when you’re late for a train), strength exercises and resistance exercises (regular weights) to maintain muscle mass; and balance exercises, as they keep joints flexible and reduce the risk of falls,” he recommends.

Dr. Serres Marques, for his part, points out that recent research has shown that to maintain muscle mass during aging, it is not necessary to lift heavy weights, but rather to lift lighter weights until the muscles feel fatigued. muscles: “For an older person, for example, it would be much better to lift a 5-pound weight and do 20 repetitions than to lift twelve weights and do five repetitions. And besides, you will avoid injury. The main thing is to bring the muscles to the level of fatigue.”

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The importance of good rest

Although several studies have estimated that total sleep time decreases by 10 to 12 minutes every ten years until it plateaus around age 60; And although, starting at age 60, the proportion of time you actually sleep while lying down and resting in bed decreases, sleep experts agree that it’s not normal to sleep less well as you age. In fact, the US National Sleep Foundation recommends that older adults sleep seven to eight hours a day. “We need to get full and restful sleep because our muscles and brain need rest. To do this, it is necessary to avoid eating stimulating foods in the afternoon, and avoid extreme fatigue before bedtime; and then have adequate sleep and environmental hygiene,” recommends Garcia Navarro.

José Serres, for his part, speaks of the potential of a Spanish tradition that is increasingly falling into disuse: the siesta. “Our body is like a computer that you use all day and it gets hotter and hotter. When you sleep, you can turn off the computer, disconnect, and that has big benefits on a physical and mental level,” he says. A systematic review published in 2022 actually concluded that short naps during the day not only did not worsen nighttime sleep in older adults, but also improved symptoms of daytime fatigue.

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It’s vital to stay socially active

“The most important thing in this life is to do what you like and have a lot of hobbies. We have to communicate with others, and the more things we like, the easier it becomes. Studies of centenarians show that these people maintain a very active relationship with the environment,” says the president of SEMAL. Opinions are shared by José Augusto García Navarro, who believes that social life plays a “fundamental” role in mental stimulation: “Social contact forces you to leave the house, so it is accompanied by physical activity; It also forces you to remain vigilant, change the register of your language depending on who is in front of you, and keep in your memory the entire history of your contacts…

Review the medications you are using

As experts note, there are drugs that are more often prescribed to older people (hypnotics and hypnotics, drugs for stress control, diuretics, antidepressants, etc.) that can increase the feeling of fatigue. Polypharmacy is also more common with age, which is associated with fatigue and also increases the risk of drug-drug interactions. Therefore, it is advisable to ask your family doctor to review your treatment to eliminate those medications that are not necessary or, if necessary, to make adjustments to the doses.

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The importance of self-care

Today, as SEGG’s president notes, many older adults continue to take on greater responsibilities well into their 60s and 70s, whether continuing their working lives or caring for grandchildren. In this sense, for José Augusto García Navarro, “it is important not to overload yourself and to treat yourself well.” “We must be able to say “no” so as not to be overwhelmed all day and be able to devote at least one or two hours a day to what we like. This is necessary to reset and reset the muscle and mental activity counters,” he concludes.

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