Why Energy Drops After 40 And How To Fix It

Sometimes we need a little extra caffeine to get us through the day.

➡️ But what if you're ALWAYS feeling tired?

Many people over 40 feel like they don't have as much energy as they used to.

In reality, it's often gradual negative changes that start to add up.

But here’s the important part.

➡️ Feeling constantly tired isn’t an inevitable part of getting older.

Most "midlife fatigue" can be dealt with through specific steps and habit changes.

I know it feels like you could get away with practically anything in your 20s.

But the reality is that you were probably more tired than you remember when you weren't doing all the "right" things.

The good news is that once you understand what’s causing the drop in energy with age, you can work on fixing it.

Let’s go through the most common reasons energy drops after 40.

❌ You're Not Sleeping (Well) Enough

While there are some physiological reasons why sleep quality goes down with age, most sleep issues are treatable.

It starts with taking a look at your evening routine and your sleep environment.

➡️ Are you having caffeine later in the afternoon or evening?

Try to keep your caffeine intake to the morning or early afternoon (2pm-ish) so that more of the caffeine is out of your system for sleep.

➡️ Are you eating large meals too close to bedtime (within 2-3 hours)? 

Lying down after large meals can result in acid reflux or digestive discomfort that interferes with sleep.

➡️ Are you watching TV, scrolling your phone, or using your laptop in bed? 

Keep your bed for sleep and sex only. That way your brain associates the bed with rest and positive vibes. 😉

➡️ Are you keeping your sleep/wake schedule similar from day-to-day?

Sometimes it's more important to your daily function that you keep a regular schedule, than how many hours you actually sleep. Although generally that should be at least 7 hours.

➡️ Is your bedroom dark, cool, and quiet?

Even small light sources can interfere with your body's production of melatonin, which already goes down with age anyway.

🔎 If you're doing everything right, but still don't sleep well, see your doctor for assessment and/or treatment.

They can rule out sleep apnea or treat hormonal sleep issues in perimenopausal and menopausal women (like night sweats).

❌ You’re Moving Less Than You Think

When you're tired, you move less. And when you move less, you feel tired.

Daily movement is one of the best ways to increase your energy.

Sometimes you have to push yourself to move when you're not feeling energetic. I always remind myself I'll feel better AFTERWARDS.

➡️ Aim for at least 7,000 steps per day and force yourself to get up from your desk every 30 minutes.

❌ Your Nutrition Is Ruining Your Energy

Many people go from restricting their calories too much to overeating calories (often on the weekends!).

That means you feel weak and tired on low calorie days and sluggish on higher calorie days.

You should aim to fuel your body consistently with the right amount of calories for good workouts and your busy daily life.

That doesn't mean you need to panic if you miss a meal once in a while, but if your meals are all over the place they're not giving you continuous energy.

➡️ Make sure you're getting enough protein (at least 0.7g per pound of bodyweight per day or 1.6g per kg of bodyweight per day) and healthy carbs to fuel your workouts.

I know carnivore and keto are enjoying some fringe popularity right now, but they're NOT ideal for most active people over 40 who are trying to lose fat and build lean muscle.

❌ You’re Losing Muscle

If you're not strength training, research shows you'll lose roughly 0.8 to 1.0 percent of your muscle mass each year starting around age 40.

Muscle tissue is metabolically active, which means it plays a major role in how much energy your body produces and how efficiently it uses fuel.

When muscle declines, metabolism can drop and everyday activities feel harder.

➡️ Do progressive resistance training at least two times per week.

✅ You're Not Recovering Enough

Recovery is often the part that most people miss. And it brings together everything I've already mentioned.

➡️ If you're not sleeping enough, you don't recover as well.

➡️ When you don't eat the right quantity and quality of food consistently, you don't recover from workouts (or other challenges) as well.

➡️ If you don't give yourself enough time between workouts, your muscles don't recover and don't grow as well.

➡️ When you don't deal with the multiple stressors (career, family, health, etc.) in your life adequately, everything else suffers.

Low energy after 40 isn’t usually caused by a single issue.

It's often a combination of not enough quality sleep, slightly less daily movement, inadequate nutrition, having a bit less muscle, and reduced recovery.

Put the pieces together consistently and you'll see your energy return surprisingly quickly.

Stay strong!