A study conducted at the University of Georgia found that sedentary people
who report suffering from fatigue could increase their energy by 20% just by
exercising regularly.
The 36 volunteers who participated in the study did not exercise regularly
and complained of persistent fatigue that didn’t quite meet the criteria for
a medical condition such as chronic fatigue syndrome.
The participants were divided into three groups; one group engaged in 20
minutes of low-intensity exercise three times a week, one engaged in 20
minutes of moderate-intensity exercise three times a week, and the control
group did not exercise.
The low intensity exercisers had the most positive results at the end of the
six-week study. Volunteers in this group experienced a 20% increase in
energy levels, and a 65% reduction in fatigue levels.
The moderate intensity exercisers had the same increase in energy levels,
but a slightly smaller, 49% reduction in fatigue levels.
“It could be that moderate intensity exercise is too much for people who are
already fatigued, and that might contribute to them not getting gas great an
improvement as they would had they done the low-intensity exercise,” says
Patrick O’Connor, co-director of the UGA Exercise Psychology Laboratory, and
co-author of the study.
