It can be a normal response to physical activity, emotional stress, boredom, or lack of sleep, but it can also signal a more serious mental or physical condition.
As we get older endurance can decline— and you can tire more quickly — but ongoing fatigue is not a natural part of aging. If you feel tired for weeks at a time and don't feel refreshed after a good night's sleep, it may be worth a conversation with your doctor to get to the root of the issue.
Some decline in energy is to be expected with age, but intense and life-altering fatigue is concerning. Aging doesn't have to completely impair you or prevent you from living your life to the fullest. You shouldn't accept these signs and symptoms as a normal part of the aging process.
As men age, the amount of testosterone that their body produces naturally declines . Low testosterone levels, also called male hypogonadism , can cause low energy levels, fatigue, and depression in men. Male hypogonadism becomes more common as a man gets older.
Fatigue is a common companion of many illnesses that beset older adults, typically those 65 and older: heart disease, cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, lung disease, kidney disease, and neurological conditions such as multiple sclerosis, among others.
Not getting enough sleep can also contribute to fatigue. Regular physical activity can improve your sleep, help reduce feelings of depression and stress, and boost your mood and overall well-being. Yoga, meditation, deep breathing, and stretching may help reduce stress and anxiety and help you get more rest.
Low testosterone, or low T, is a very common condition in adult men 40 and older. As men get older, their bodies naturally start to produce less testosterone. Low T not only leads to a lack of energy but can also lead to issues with muscle and bones mass.
Eat Foods High in Protein
Instead, go on a high-protein diet, with plenty of lean meats or quinoa. Many vegetables also are high in protein! Boost your energy and protein levels with boiled eggs, which also give you Vitamin D. A diet low in fat and high in protein does wonders for seniors!
Eat (mostly) whole foods.
Fresh, whole, unprocessed foods renew energy levels with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. “Packaged, processed foods tend to make you feel sluggish and heavy,” says Johns Hopkins geriatrician Alicia Arbaje, M.D., M.P.H.
Your muscles get weaker, and the tendons -- which connect muscles to your skeleton -- get stiffer. This will decrease your strength and flexibility. In your 70s, you might lose an inch or two off your height as disks in your back flatten.
Ongoing fatigue in seniors can be caused by chronic conditions, making it important to monitor and report any new symptoms of weakness and exhaustion to your care team. Some common underlying health conditions that can contribute to fatigue in older adults include: Diabetes. Heart disease.
Who is Defined as Elderly? Typically, the elderly has been defined as the chronological age of 65 or older. People from 65 to 74 years old are usually considered early elderly, while those over 75 years old are referred to as late elderly.
Older adults need about the same amount of sleep as all adults—7 to 9 hours each night. But, older people tend to go to sleep earlier and get up earlier than they did when they were younger. There are many reasons why older people may not get enough sleep at night.
According to their internal body clock, most older adults need to go to sleep around 7 p.m. or 8 p.m. and wake up at 3 a.m. or 4 a.m. Many people fight their natural inclination to sleep and choose to go to bed several hours later instead.
As people age, they tend to sleep more lightly and often awaken during the night from achy joints or the need to go to the bathroom. Many people compensate for this lost sleep by catching a restorative nap during the day. That's normal.
Fatigue is common and can be caused by lifestyle factors as well as medical conditions. Chronic low energy in men can be linked to low testosterone, sleep problems, anemia, and other health problems. Treating low energy in men can involve medical treatments and lifestyle changes.
Vitamin D is a common deficiency in all ages, but seniors especially may be at risk due to dietary factors and reduced time outside. A deficiency in vitamin D has been associated with fatigue and weakness in the muscles and bones. This explains why vitamin D may be one of the best vitamins to increase energy.
So does vitamin B12 give you energy? While B12 doesn't directly provide energy, it does give the body the tools it needs to convert food molecules into energy. Getting the recommended daily amount of B12 can therefore help ensure that the body is able to make the energy it needs to do everything you need it to do.
Choose foods with little to no added sugar, saturated fats, and sodium. To get enough protein throughout the day and maintain muscle, try adding seafood, dairy, or fortified soy products along with beans, peas, and lentils to your meals. Learn more about protein and other important nutrients.
The Harvard School of Public Health cautions people of any age against consuming too many energy drinks. These products are largely unregulated and often contain extra herbal ingredients purported to give you an energy boost. There is significant evidence to suggest that energy drinks could be bad for your health.
After age 30, people tend to lose lean tissue. Your muscles, liver, kidney, and other organs may lose some of their cells. This process of muscle loss is called atrophy. Bones may lose some of their minerals and become less dense (a condition called osteopenia in the early stages and osteoporosis in the later stages).
The degree of this decline varies. But most men maintain at least some amount of sexual interest into their 60s and 70s. But sometimes loss of sex drive is related to an underlying condition.
Muscle mass and strength tend to reduce by 30%–50% between the ages of 30 and 80 years,2 with the main cause the reduction in the number of muscle fibers and atrophy of type II muscle fiber. Furthermore, losses in muscular strength occur at an approximate rate of 12%–14% per decade after age 50 years.