As you gracefully step into your later years, feeling more tired than usual can be a common concern. Although tiredness or fatigue as a more elderly individual can be a normal response to emotional stress, excessive physical activity, or minor sickness, persistent fatigue that impacts your quality of life is not an inevitable part of aging. In some cases, it can be a signal that your body needs additional care or lifestyle adjustments.
In this guide, we’ll go through some of the most common causes of fatigue as an elderly adult and what can be done to manage fatigue and regain energy in your later years.
What Causes Tiredness and Fatigue in Seniors?
To fully understand how to combat tiredness as you age, it’s helpful to explore what actually causes extreme tiredness in the elderly. Understanding these causes can help you get to the bottom of the problem and find effective ways to manage your energy levels. We’ll explore these below.
Medical Conditions
Various health-related conditions can trigger excessive or sudden fatigue in the elderly, which can impact their quality of life. Common health-related causes of tiredness include:
- Chronic conditions: Chronic illnesses, such as heart disease and diabetes, as well as various mental illnesses, are prevalent among older adults and can contribute to fatigue. These conditions often require ongoing management and can lead to feelings of constant tiredness due to the body’s increased effort to function.
- Nutrient deficiencies: Anaemia (iron deficiency) is a common cause of extreme fatigue in elderly individuals. Research also suggests that vitamin D deficiency and low calcium can contribute to excessive tiredness and fatigue in the elderly, particularly among women.
- Medications: As you age, you may begin to take more medications to manage chronic pain and/or mental illnesses. Some side effects of these medications include fatigue, which may be what is causing your low energy levels and tiredness.
Poor Mental Health
Poor mental health is an umbrella term that encompasses various conditions, such as emotional exhaustion, anxiety, and depression. All of these are prevalent among older individuals and can be caused by or exacerbated by the loss of a loved one, loss of independence, social isolation, boredom, and other factors that come with aging.
Many individuals underestimate the impact of these conditions as they are not always visible. However, research strongly suggests that there is an undeniable link between poor mental health and higher levels of persistent fatigue and reduced energy.
For example, you may notice that when you’re happy, you feel more energetic and motivated. Well, feeling the opposite can often have the reverse effect, leading to increased tiredness and reduced energy levels. This shift in mood and motivation is a reflection of how mental well-being can directly influence our physical state.
Unhealthy Lifestyle Choices
As we age, our bodies become more sensitive to the effects of our daily habits and lifestyle choices. Even more so, if these lifestyle choices are unhealthy or lack balance, as they can cause fatigue and tiredness. This highlights the importance of making conscious, health-focused decisions in your daily life. Here’s how some common lifestyle factors can impact your energy and fatigue levels:
- Poor diet: Because our bodies rely so heavily on what we eat as fuel to function, consuming a diet low in nutrients and high in processed foods can exacerbate fatigue and tiredness at any age, particularly as you grow older, when your nutritional needs change.
- Lack of physical activity: Leading a sedentary lifestyle and not engaging in enough physical activity can lead to persistent fatigue by affecting your sleep and reducing overall energy and stamina.
- Poor sleep routine: It’s not uncommon for sleep patterns to change as you age because your body’s internal clock is shifting. However, persistent disruptions in your sleep routine and poor sleep quality can lead to increased fatigue and reduced energy levels.
Tips to Reduce Fatigue & in Elderly People
Addressing fatigue when you’re older involves a combination of lifestyle adjustments and self-care strategies. Below are some practical tips designed to help elderly individuals enhance energy levels and manage and reduce feelings of tiredness and fatigue.
Establish a Good Sleep Routine
Persistent disruptions to your regular sleeping patterns can lead to tiredness and fatigue regardless of age. However, when you’re older, the effects of a consistent lack of sleep can be far more wide-reaching, often resulting in chronic fatigue.
To combat this, it’s important to establish a consistent bedtime routine; you can do this by determining a regular sleep schedule, creating a relaxing pre-sleep ritual, and avoiding screens right before bed. Avoiding those long daytime naps can help maintain a healthy sleep-wake cycle, as they can interfere with nighttime sleep quality.
Eat Healthy & Avoid Excess Alcohol
As you age, your body’s nutritional needs change and this can be due to a variety of factors. Because of this, it is crucial to focus on eating a diet that is nutrient-dense but not energy-dense. This is because older individuals are less active than they used to be and, therefore, don’t need the extra kilojoules.
Doing this, alongside reducing the amount of processed foods we consume, can contribute to a more balanced diet that supports sustained energy levels and minimises feelings of fatigue. Research also shows that adopting healthy eating habits when you’re older can help reduce the risk of developing chronic conditions such as heart disease and diabetes (which coincidentally are linked to excess fatigue in the elderly).
Incorporate Exercise into Your Daily Routine
The more physically active you are in your daily life, whatever your age, the more energy you tend to have and the less tired you feel. Engage in activities that you enjoy and that are manageable, such as walking with friends, swimming, or gentle stretching exercises. Consistency is key, so aim to incorporate some form of exercise into your daily routine.
We recommend working with a physio or specialist if you have any existing conditions or injuries to establish a routine that you’re comfortable and safe with and can maintain consistently. Doing so can also reduce the risk of developing other health issues like diabetes, depression and anxiety.
At The Village Retirement Group, we understand the importance of maintaining a healthy and active lifestyle as you age, which is why we offer a variety of wellness and activity programs at each of our villages to keep our residents physically and mentally active. Our offerings include yoga and pilates, as well as lawn bowls, swimming, water aerobics, and so many more. Residents also have access to in-house physio clinics and exercise programs to encourage active and healthy living for all residents regardless of mobility levels.
Check out the Department of Health & Aged Care’s Guidelines for Physical Activity and Exercise for Older Australians for more information.
Ask For Help When You Need It
The older you get, the more assistance you may need in managing daily activities or undertaking specific household chores such as mowing the lawn or cleaning the house. It’s important to reach out for support from friends, family, and support/health professionals rather than attempting to manage it all yourself.
Trying to handle everything on your own when you’re struggling can result in increased and prolonged fatigue and emotional stress and can even increase your risk of injury.
Keep a Fatigue Diary & Schedule a Check-Up
To determine if there is a pattern to your increased fatigue levels, we recommend keeping a fatigue diary. This will help you answer questions like: What times of day am I most tired? When do I have the most energy? And what type of food affects my energy levels? If you decide to consult a doctor, maintaining a fatigue diary can offer them valuable insights that help identify fatigue triggers and develop strategies for better managing your energy levels.
Keeping a fatigue diary involves documenting your daily activities, feelings of extreme tiredness, sleep patterns (including any periods of rest or naps you take throughout the day as well as any sleep disruptions), and any notable changes in your diet.
Fostering Good Health, Both Inside & Out, at The Village
At The Village Retirement Group, we’re all about embracing happy and healthy aging. Our holistic approach to health includes a variety of social events, wellness programs, and physical activities that are designed to promote socialisation, mental stimulation, and physical fitness. Every one of our residents also has access to a range of personalised healthcare services, and we encourage them to take advantage of these resources whenever they need support or care.
All of the activities and services contribute to creating an environment that is vibrant, nurturing, and supportive of overall health and well-being. For more information, explore our articles about the different wellness programs and fitness classes on offer at each of our villages or contact us if you have any questions or to request a tour.
Please note that the information above serves as general guidance. If you are experiencing persistent fatigue and have concerns, The Village advises you to consult a healthcare professional for expert, personalised advice and recommendations.
