I haven’t seen much of the gym lately. Or my running path. Or my sneakers.
I’ve been sick for more than a week now with flu-like symptoms: congestion, coughing and a fabulous case of laryngitis that makes me sound like Kathleen Turner’s long lost sister. On top of that, we had Hurricane Sandy blow through earlier this week, and Buddy’s school was cancelled for two straight days. None of these scenarios are particularly helpful when it comes to following a workout plan. Or exercising at all.
Needless to say, I’ve been a little grouchy. Just ask my family.
I may have mentioned it here once or twice, but I am definitely a creature of habit, and disrupted schedules don’t sit well with me. In fact, they completely stress me out.
But I am trying really hard to be realistic and not beat myself up over my inactivity this past week. My only workout since the Ladybug 5K last weekend was a subpar Body Pump class last Wednesday morning that I coughed and sniffled my way through, much to the disgust of my fellow gym-goers (sorry, ladies).
Even though I felt (and still feel) terrible, its been difficult not to be disappointed in myself for not rallying and mustering the energy for at least one other workout on one of those days when the four of us were just lounging around in our PJs, keeping a close eye on the Weather Channel. Yes, the rational side of me knows this sounds ridiculous, but the other side – the control freak who doesn’t like to skip workouts – says otherwise.
Then it hit me: why do I think its okay to take a few days off to recover from a long race or a tweaked muscle, but I have such a hard time “forgiving myself” for missing workouts due to sickness and natural disasters? Have my fitness goals totally warped my sense of perspective? Has anyone else experienced this?
I talk about wanting to live a healthy lifestyle to “set a good example for my kids,” but now its time to walk the walk. If Buddy or Mimi had a cold or the flu, I wouldn’t make them feel guilty about missing a soccer practice or karate class, right? I’d tuck them in bed and give them lots of cuddles and chicken soup and encourage them to rest, rest, rest.
Sometimes I think we all (especially fellow control freak/workout routine sticklers like myself) need a reminder to listen to our bodies. If you’re sick, injured, or just feel miserable, be honest with yourself and scale it back. Yes, it may be frustrating, but taking a few days off won’t permanently derail your fitness goals. It won’t trigger a major weight gain.
So with that in mind, I am going to continue my exercise hiatus until I feel better. I finally see that taking time off from running and the gym isn’t the end of the world. What would be worse is still feeling like crap this week – when Dr. G. is traveling for work and I’m piloting this ship solo with the kiddos for an entire week. How am I going to manage that if I still have laryngitis? Ever try to communicate with a toddler when you don’t have a voice? Not easy.
Turns out this is probably the right call: medical experts say if your symptoms are below the neck (wheezing, congestion, aches, etc), it is probably more than a common cold, and taking time off might be a good idea.
(And, please, if you are sick and contagious, show consideration for others and do not go to the gym. Yes, this is a crime I am guilty of and I am still feeling really bad about it).
I’m sure in a few days when I’m (hopefully) feeling better, I’m gonna be raring to go, but I need to remind myself to take it slow. The best thing to do – once you’ve made a full recovery – is gradually ease back into your routine. It may take a few days to ramp back up to where you were, but you’ll get there. Getting sick is a fact of life, but if you listen to your body, be patient and give yourself time to fully recover, then you’ll bounce back in no time.
Sending get well wishes to all my fellow moms and athletes who are also under the weather. Here’s to a quick recovery!
Question: Do you exercise when you’re sick?
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