A Pharmacist and Personal Trainer Explain How to Build a Body That Doesn't Wear Out Easily
"I slept in all weekend, but I still wake up on Monday morning feeling exhausted..."
Do you struggle with this kind of chronic fatigue? Many people assume it's simply because they're getting older or because they haven't been exercising enough. However, your persistent fatigue may not be caused by declining muscles—it could actually be your internal organs sending out an SOS.
Nice to meet you. I am a pharmacist with seven years of experience, primarily responsible for medication management for residents in elderly care facilities through a community pharmacy. At the same time, I also work as a personal trainer, sharing health information on Instagram and other social media platforms to help people prevent pre-disease—a state where a person is not yet ill but is no longer truly healthy.
Throughout my daily work, I have cared for countless elderly patients who routinely take more than ten different medications at a time. As I listened to their stories and traced the progression of their illnesses, I noticed a striking pattern among many of those who are now bedridden.
Most of them spent their forties and fifties—the busiest years of their careers—constantly sacrificing their health. They relied on convenience store meals, cut back on sleep, and pushed themselves beyond their limits, accumulating countless small daily burdens over many years.
Witnessing this reality firsthand has convinced me that the goal should not be to rely on medication after disease develops, but rather to build a body while we're still young that won't need medication in the future.
So why have our bodies become so prone to fatigue?
The answer lies largely in two vital organs: the liver and the kidneys.
The liver acts as the body's detoxification factory, neutralizing harmful substances that enter the body. The kidneys function as the body's waste treatment plant, filtering waste products from the blood and eliminating them through urine.
Over the years, both as a pharmacist and as a personal trainer, I've found that people suffering from chronic fatigue often share the same lifestyle: one that prioritizes convenience and stress relief over healthy eating.
Busy schedules lead them to depend heavily on processed foods. Stress is relieved through alcohol and sugary treats. As a result, the liver is forced to work around the clock processing food additives, excess sugar, and alcohol.
Ideally, while we sleep, our bodies should be using energy to repair tissues and restore vitality. Instead, much of that energy is diverted to keeping the liver working overtime.
This is one of the biggest reasons why you can sleep for hours and still wake up feeling tired.
At the same time, insufficient water intake and excessive salt consumption place extra strain on the kidneys. Their filtering efficiency declines, making it harder to eliminate waste products that contribute to fatigue.
If you want to build a body that doesn't wear out easily, the first step isn't adding more supplements—it's deciding what to stop doing.
Late-night meals and heavy drinking before bed place a tremendous burden on your organs while you sleep. Try to finish dinner at least three hours before bedtime and gradually reduce your intake of highly processed foods, especially those with long lists of artificial ingredients.
Then, incorporate foods that support your organs and are easy to find at your local supermarket.
Broccoli sprouts are particularly beneficial because they contain sulforaphane, a compound that strongly supports the liver's detoxification process. Simply adding them to your usual salad is enough.
Seafood such as squid and octopus is rich in taurine, which also helps support healthy liver function.
For your kidneys, the best medicine is surprisingly simple: water.
Not tea. Not coffee. Plain water.
A good guideline for daily water intake is:
Body weight (kg) × 30–35 mL
For example, if you weigh 50 kg (110 lbs), aim to drink about 1.5 to 1.75 liters of water each day.
Rather than drinking it all at once, sip small amounts consistently throughout the day.
We should also rethink how we view sleep and exercise.
Many people believe sleep is simply a time for the brain and muscles to rest. In reality, it is also when your internal organs recover.
The blue light emitted by smartphones before bedtime disrupts your autonomic nervous system, reducing your organs' ability to recover efficiently. Try putting your phone away at least 30 minutes before bed, dim the lights, and allow your body to relax.
As a personal trainer, I also want to point out that when you're already exhausted, intense strength training can actually be counterproductive.
If your goal is to prevent illness and improve your body's ability to recover, I recommend something much simpler: walking.
The calf muscles are often called the body's "second heart" because each step helps pump blood back through the body.
Better circulation means the liver and kidneys receive the blood supply they need to efficiently remove waste products and support recovery.
You don't need exhausting workouts. A relaxed 20-minute walk while enjoying the scenery can be one of the most effective forms of recovery.
The small feelings of fatigue you experience every day are important signals from your body.
Medication can help manage existing symptoms, but your body's true ability to recover depends on your daily habits.
The choices you make in your forties shape the health you'll have decades later.
The food you eat today, the water you drink today, and the steps you take today all contribute to building a body that won't need to depend on medication in the future.
Why not start today by taking better care of your internal organs through simple daily self-care?