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Are you sick? Should you sweat it out at the gym or rest?
I would say that I have above average health: I rarely get sick with colds or stomach ailments, and headaches are unusual. All-in-all, my mind and body feel pretty good most days. That is until the other day. Here I was, secretly self-satisfied that I wasn’t the person hacking up a lung or sporting a Rudolph-like nose. All while thinking that, once again, my strong immune system would victoriously carry me through yet another cold and flu season. When suddenly, and I mean within a matter of hours, I was thoroughly kicked in the a@$ by the flu bug.
Now, for someone who is very active, both physically and mentally, I was more than a little shocked and annoyed. I mean, the nerve of this bug to pin my immunity to the mat! Within a matter of a few hours, I went from planning my evening back workout to lying horizontal on the couch, bemoaning how truly awful I felt and how unjust my fate was (can you hear the tiny violin in the background?).
After 5 days of barely being able to stomach food other than mom’s famous chicken noodle soup (ok, by mom I mean Sobeys), and sweating off the pounds although I barely moved a muscle, I made the brutal trek from couch to doctor to see WTH was the problem. I mean, I couldn’t possibly have succumbed to the measly flu bug – moi? No!
Yup – after a bit of poking and prodding, the doc announced that I had the flu. I’m sure her internal voice was saying “duh”. And the cure, she advised? Rest. Take meds for fever. Rest. Oh, and avoid physical activity of any kind because that could cause my symptoms to worsen. When I asked how long before I can work out, she paused, looked at me as though I had two heads, and finally said slowly, “Until you feel better”.
From the serious decline in calorie intake throughout my illness, I have definitely lost weight and muscle mass. Which is very disheartening for someone who works hard to have defined muscles (and yes, brags to her family that she rarely gets sick).
It is now day 8 since my last workout and to be quite honest, I barely have the energy to climb a set of stairs. And although I definitely feel much better than I did 3-4 days ago, when I do tackle steps, my legs protest, my poor lungs burn and I start coughing.
Well, despite feeling guilty that I’ve not hit the weights in more than a week, I’m going to take that advice. My body is definitely telling me to rest. I got sick, I need to rest – period. And like my business partner, Lara, and I always tell our clients “listen to your body”.
I’ve started to add more variety to my diet, fruits and greens are sitting well, and last night my daughter made me a ground turkey burger – yum. So, I know I’m on the mend. I’m also making sure to hit the pillows earlier than is typical. All part of letting my body tell me what it needs to recover.
So, unfortunately, tis the season for colds and flus. If you are unfortunate enough to catch either, here’s a list of “dos” that is helping me get back to my A-game:
Drink lots – of water that is – add in herbal teas if you like. And yes, a touch of honey and lemon does soothe the throat and give you a warm, cozy feeling.
Grab the heating pad, extra blankies and pillows and get comfy on the couch or bed. Rest, rest, rest - tried, tested, and true – every time.
Did we say rest? Well it’s worth saying again. It’s during rest and sleep that your body starts the recovery process. If you attempt to continue with your normal routine – i.e., working out – you could be down for the count even longer than normal.
Dump the guilt. You are sick, you didn’t ask to be sick, it just happened. Dumping the guilt means accepting you need time off from the gym or away from the treadmill or court. It also means accepting that your body just does not want all of the calories you are used to consuming. Yes, you may lose some weight and potentially a bit of muscle, but rest will allow you to recover and go as hard as ever when you feel 100%.
Essential oils. I found a few drops of peppermint or eucalyptus gently steaming in my humidifier did wonders for my sinuses and throat while I was ill.
Get a humidifier. Why? See point # 5.
Fruit. Citrus fruits was one of the first foods I started to eat once I was on the mend. I also favoured greens: salads with very light dressing (usually just a bit of oil & vinegar), or some chopped peppers.
Although we can’t always avoid getting sick during cold and flu season, we can choose to rest as much as possible – guilt free – so we can recover as quickly as possible and get back to the activities we enjoy most. Listen to your body!
And what about the gym? Well, I think I’ll be ready to tackle a short, high-rep, low weight workout in a few more days. But I’m not going to force it. I'll listen to my body, rest as much as it wants, and now, my pillow calls.