Six Actionable Steps to Overcome Adrenal Fatigue (And Keep it At Bay)
Overcoming adrenal fatigue comes down to rebuilding your stress resilience. Research and expert observations recommend several lifestyle changes:
1. Move Your Body
Most people believe that exercising for 30 to 40 minutes three times per week is enough to stay healthy. Unfortunately, that’s not the case (6). Regular movement is necessary to boost stress resilience, control cortisol, and treat adrenal fatigue (7).
You don’t have to push yourself to your limits. Instead, look at your day and seek ways to add movement where possible:
- Play with your kids after work
- Go for a walk during your lunch break
- Get up and walk around your office every 30 to 40 minutes
- Take the stairs
- Park your car farther from your destination
2. Have Regular Sex
Sex is a somewhat taboo topic, but we cannot deny its immense positive effects on the mind and body.
Frequent sex is linked to improved stress resilience, mental health, longevity, energy, good cognitive function, confidence, and more (8, 9). Sex can also normalize your blood pressure and promote weight loss.
Your body releases two critical hormones during sex: oxytocin and prolactin. The two are crucial for creating a bond between partners, promoting relaxation, improving sleep, and controlling stress (10, 11).
3. Get Enough Sleep
Sleep is easily the most important physiological process. Getting enough quality, uninterrupted rest at night is one of the most practical ways to elevate your health and reduce the risk of chronic disease (12).
More importantly, sleep is necessary for improving your stress resilience. Good sleep also helps the body recover from stress and improves brain health, leading to better cognition, memory, productivity, and more (13, 14).
Good ways to improve sleep include:
- Limit your caffeine intake (15)
- Avoid alcohol before bed (16)
- Keep your bedroom cool, dark, and quiet
- Invest in a quality mattress and pillow
- Do peaceful activities before bed (e.g., meditate, stretch, take a bath, etc.)
4. Do Some Resistance Training
A simple resistance training program can improve stress resilience and prevent adrenal fatigue in the future (7). It’s important to note that too much can have the opposite effect: recovery issues and overtraining.
The objective should be to provide an adequate stimulus three to four times per week and do one to two exercises per muscle group. Perform sets in various repetition ranges and give yourself enough time to recover.
5. Limit Your Cardio
Aerobic exercise offers numerous physical and psychological benefits. The problem is that doing too much of it or having cardio sessions when stressed out can lead to adrenal fatigue or magnify the symptoms.
Limit your cardio and give your body the time it needs to recover from stress.
6. Eat Enough Protein
Some people fear high-protein diets because they believe the nutrient can damage their kidneys or worsen their bone health. Luckily, both ideas hold no water for healthy people, and even incredibly high protein intakes don’t cause any issues (17).
Aside from aiding weight loss and muscle gain, protein is necessary for good health (18). Eating enough protein is essential because the nutrient supplies the building blocks your body needs to make hormones, enzymes, neurotransmitters, antibodies, and more.
Not getting enough protein can diminish your body’s ability to handle stress and lead to even more severe adrenal fatigue.
According to research, the ideal intake is roughly 1.6 to 2.2 grams per kilogram (0.7 to 1 gram per pound) (19). Good sources include meat, fish, poultry, eggs, cottage cheese, nuts, and seeds.
Coach Michael
