“Doing it all” requires plenty of energy, and there are many systems that still don’t take women’s needs into account. Tuning into your body’s needs and rhythms can help you harness your energy and fortify your energy reserves at any age.
Where energy comes from
“How energized you feel is impacted by a complex variety of inputs throughout your life: quality of sleep, nutrition, mental health, metabolism, to name a few,” says Ontario-based Menopause Society Certified Practitioner, Emily Bennett, ND.
Childhood and adolescence (0 to 12)
Girls grow rapidly during infancy and childhood. “Early years are an essential time for setting good lifestyle habits,” says Andrea Carpenter, RD, founder of NutriKidz. “This involves offering balanced nutrition at regular intervals throughout the day, including various activities to maintain physical activity and minimizing sedentary activities, such as excessive screen time.”
Too much screen time is associated with climbing cortisol levels (aka the stress hormone) which can interfere with energy levels. According to Canadian movement guidelines, daily recreational screen time should be below two hours in children over five years old.
Reproductive years (12 to 51)
Menstruation starts at puberty. Going with your flow can help you capitalize on your body’s energy peaks and valleys. Given an average 28-day cycle, the following breakdown of each part of the cycle provides a general guide for understanding energy fluctuations during this time.
Menstrual (days 1 to 7)
Progesterone and estrogen levels are lowest, along with energy, focus, and productivity levels. This is prime time to scale back on any unnecessary tasks and prioritize sleep and rest.
Follicular (days 8 to 13)
During this time, your uterus is preparing for a possible pregnancy. Your energy is on an upward trajectory due to climbing estrogen levels, and you’re feeling motivated.
Ovulatory (day 14)
The result is an outwardly focused energy that could last for 3 to 4 days. Channel this spark into an ambitious project or teamwork.
Luteal (days 15 to 24)
Estrogen and progesterone levels rise, producing a calming effect. It’s a time to lighten up on your to-do list, and focus on simple tasks.
Premenstrual (days 25 to 28)
Toward the end of the cycle and when pregnancy doesn’t occur, hormone levels begin to drop, along with energy levels.
Pregnancy
Fatigue may signal the start of a pregnancy, due to changing levels of pregnancy hormones. The last three months of pregnancy may also cause energy levels to plummet, as you manage with the additional stress on your body both day and night. Napping to make up for sleep lost at night, exercising, or asking for help with cleaning or running errands can all help boost flagging energy.
Post-pregnancy
Supplementation with creatine may be particularly useful in rebuilding the cellular energy depleted during childbirth.
Tune into your emotions to gain more energy
Start by taking note of what tends to sap your emotional energy: internal factors like mindset, posture, or feelings external influences such as activities, people, foods, or hobbies
For instance, scrolling on social media may leave you with an energy deficit if you find yourself negatively comparing yourself to others. Using energy on bottling up anger may also drain your vitality.
Then, limit activities that drain you, while engaging in activities to offset stress and negative feelings.
Perimenopausal/menopausal (mid-40s to 55)
During this period, hormone levels swing dramatically. Lower levels of progesterone make it difficult to relax for some.
Perimenopause comes at a point in our lives when many of us are dealing with a high degree of responsibility, emphasizes Bennett. This includes aging parents, adolescent children, a peaking career, financial commitments, and long-term relationships to maintain―or dismantle.
“It’s not uncommon for people to enter perimenopause already in a state of depletion, stress, or burnout. This can worsen the experience of common menopausal symptoms like hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings, and poor sleep,” says Bennett. Hot flashes and night sweats impact sleep quality, in turn impacting energy levels through the day.
Reducing stress and focusing on the basics, including high-quality sleep, daily screen breaks, limiting alcohol and caffeine consumption, and attending to your mental health can have profound impacts on the severity of common menopausal symptoms, according to Bennett.
Alberta-based Tracey McGowan, BSc, MPsych, who specializes in women’s hormones at Maliya Wellness Centre for Women, incorporates cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) to manage symptoms like anxiety, depression, sleep disturbances, hot flashes, and night sweats into her practice.
“CBT offers an effective, nonhormonal option that can be transformative for women navigating the challenges of menopause,” says McGowan.
Closing the curtains on fatigue
For women feeling low energy at any stage of life, Emily Bennett, ND, recommends mulling over how often they allow themselves to do nothing: “… to just lie on the couch and stare at the ceiling without any purpose, to allow their mind to drift and wander; perhaps the thing all of us need more of is just really less of everything.”
Golden years (55+)
As women get older, there’s no reason to believe that there’s a need to slow down. In fact, with the right approach—and potentially more time after retirement—women can experience even more energy and vibrancy at this time of their lives. McGowan encourages women to frame this time of life as an opportunity to prioritize self-care, adapt to physiological changes, and flourish―not as a period of lost vitality. She advocates adopting a lifestyle that embraces overall health and well-being that matches your unique individual needs.
Engaging in exercises like Pilates, tai chi, qigong, and mindfulness-based stress reduction have been proven effective for improving sleep quality and fatigue in older women. McGowan suggests baby steps when it comes to lifestyle adjustments at this stage.
“Incorporate light exercise into your routine, experiment with a new nutritious recipe, or dedicate five minutes daily to practising mindfulness,” says McGowan.
Key nutrients for every age
Ontario-based Emily Bennett, ND, recommends staying up-to-date on your bloodwork. “Basic things that are easy to fix―like iron, vitamin D, and vitamin B12 deficiencies―can also contribute to low energy during the day,” she says.
Other important nutrients include the following:
|
iron |
is an essential mineral for growth, development, and creating hormones |
|
calcium |
is effective for preventing bone loss and treating osteoporosis; may help reduce mood swings, bloating, food cravings, and pain of premenstrual syndrome |
|
magnesium |
deficiency may result in higher heart rates and require more oxygen for physical tasks |
|
collagen |
decreases with age; paired with vitamin C, may improve skin, scalp, and hair |
|
vitamin B12 |
deficiency may include symptoms of balance problems, depression, and extreme fatigue or muscle weakness |
|
citrulline |
use over the long term may help those with, or at risk for, heart disease; with arginine, may produce antidepressant effects |
|
rhodiola |
is used for boosting mental and physical performance, decreasing symptoms of fatigue and depression, and increasing work productivity |
|
ashwagandha |
appears to improve overall sleep and sleep quality and help reduce stress in some people |
|
melatonin |
is a hormone the body creates to control sleep cycles; supplementation may help with jet lag and assist with insomnia |
|
CoQ10 |
might be effective for treating congestive heart failure and preventing migraines; could also help improve physical performance |
|
creatine |
has positive benefits linked to strength, hypertrophy, and performance |
|
beetroot powder |
contains nitrates, which can support heavy exercise by increasing the amount of oxygen the body can use |
This article was originally published in the May 2025 issue of alive magazine.
Cassie Irwin, ND
Laura Bolt
Bryn Hyndman