I've been doing Wii Fit for about a month now even tho I've had it for a year. I've been doing it nearly ever other day with a few days off here and there but finally started getting hard core in to it. I've just now unlocked all the Yoga and Strength training exercises so my work outs are longer than they were before. My routine is to go through all the Yoga poses then do all the strength training poses. I do that 3 times a week with a day rest in between. Today I just have literally no energy. When I tried doing the yoga my muscles were so shaky. Is there anything nutritionally I need more of? Maybe more protein or something to get my body going again?

Hi there. Sounds like you might just need a break

I've had the same sort of thing happen to me, you just have a day or two with no energy. Then it goes away and I feel fine a few days later.

If it's a one off I wouldn't worry about it, but if it keeps happening then you should probably try increasing your protein intake, and also make sure you get enough salt and are keeping hydrated. Some dieters actually overdo it and cut out all salt, which is actually bad for you as it's essential to keep your nerves working.

One thing that is good to do if you are already getting enough rest and good nutrition and still need help is to take homeopathic Arnica. You can get it at many health food stores. It helps in the repair of your body from injury of any kind, and exercise does injury to tiny muscle fibers, so those can use some help at times to heal up. It helps to prevent that sore, after the exercise feeling. If you wake up one day, not having taken Arnica after exercising, and you are stiff and sore, another homeopathic remedy called Rhus Toxicodendron will help with healing and you will be amazed at how fast that soreness disappears. The remedies are fairly inexpensive. Arnica is good to have on hand for any injury or surgery.

These remedies are safe, but I suggest starting with a low potency, preferably 6C or 12C. They can be repeated when symptoms reappear, even within 15 minutes or sooner. You won't need it for long.

Low blood sugar can cause you to shake and feel tired. Have you had enough carbohydrates? Are you on a high protein diet? Have you tried doing what the Wii suggests, that is, eating a banana before you exercise?

No I never eat any Bananas. I just don't like them. Is it for the potassium? I have potassium I can take. I drink lots of water so I don't get sore. I have cut back quite a bit on what I eat so it is possible I'm not getting enough protein. I'll also keep an eye on my salt intake. Thank you all for the advice. I'm also going to check out Arnica.

What the bananas give you is an easy-to-digest source of carbohydrates, i.e. sugars and starches.

The body gets energy from three different kinds of materials: fats, proteins, and carbs.

Carbs come in four main types: sugars (small molecules, easy to digest and absorb, fast-acting), starches (long spiral-chain molecules that have to be broken down by digestive enzymes into sugars, so slower-acting, found only in plants), cellulose (dietary fibre, not digestible except by certain bacteria that only do it in a useful way in the guts of cattle, termites, etc., but not humans), and glycogen (large squiggly molecules found in and near muscles, broken down by enzymes to act as a sort of energy reserve). Once broken down into single-ring molecules like glucose, carbs are the body's first-line source of quick energy. There is always a certain amount of this dissolved in the blood, and if this level drops, you feel hungry and eventually tired and/or shaky/weak.

Proteins are the body's building blocks, which is why meat contains so much of them. They build many different molecules, ranging from the digestive enzymes mentioned above, through the DNA-manipulators that aid in cell division, endocrines like insulin, connectives like collagen, all the way to the long-chain stuff that makes muscles contract. In a pinch, the amino acids that make up proteins can be converted to sugar, but this is slow and inefficient, releases nitrogen-based compounds like urea, and destroys the material used to repair and build muscles. It is slow enough that it is not generally useful for exercise.

Fats are the body's long-term energy storage mechanism. Like proteins, fats can be converted into energy, but this process is even slower than the conversion of amino acids to energy. It is, however, an important part of how we lose weight, as the body burns through carbs during busy times, and recovers the carb stores (glycogen) from fats and proteins. Exercise will tend to help you retain proteins in favour of breaking down more fats. In times of surplus carbs, the body will convert them into fats, just to make life difficult for you.

So the banana is what?

An easy to digest source of carbohydrates directly useful for exercise that will help to keep your blood-sugar level up. The body will also do some of this by itself, by breaking down glycogen.

Low-carb, high-protein diets are not really compatible with heavy exercise, as the "ready use" blood sugar and glycogen come in preference from carbs in our food, and a low-carb diet does not have enough of them.

The banana is also a good source of some secondary nutrients, vitamins and minerals and the like, but the reason why la_joggeuse suggested it is for the carbs, as also suggested by the French script in the Wii Fit health tips. (I have no idea if this tip features in the English-language script.)

Cynique! Excellent informative post. I like learning that without having to read a boring book. I only read books that are advertised with comments like: Lose weight while helping yourself to buttery pastries, chocolate, cheese and bread. That is for real. Did you know that the French end most meals with a slice of cheese? Yum!