Week 10 – Recovering When You’re Sick

Last week was tough for Mary.

Tossing and turning, coughs, shivers and sweats kept her from getting the good nights sleep she needed on Monday.

“This can’t be happening.” She thought to herself, “I can’t be getting sick.”

Mary unreserved her spot in class, called in sick to work, and slept in to rest and recover. Later that morning she woke up to a message from her Coach:

“Hey Mary, it is not like you to miss a workout – is everything ok?”

She texted back that she felt under the weather and would be back soon.

Prioritize Recovering

On Wednesday Mary started feeling better, but she still wasn’t 100%. Anxious to workout again and worried about losing progress, she asked her Coach what she could do at home.

When we are sick, the priority must be to get better.

Missing a few days or even a couple weeks at the gym isn’t going to undo all our progress.

In fact, jumping back into an exercise routine too quickly can worsen the illness by causing a relapse and further delay getting better.

When it feels good, movement can aid in the recovery process as a light exercise routine, but only when we’re 100% better is it safe to return to exercising at our full capacity.

Using Self Care for Recovery

Coach gave Mary these gentle reminders, pointed her towards the Members Success Portal, and suggested she start with the FulI Body Warm-Up. If she felt up to doing more, she could continue with the 30 min Full Body Workout 1, a bodyweight workout to keep her moving without overexerting herself.

By listening to her body, eating nutritious foods, staying hydrated, and getting plenty of sleep, Mary will likely be ready to get back in the gym next week.

Sometimes less is better.