Do you listen to your body?
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I’m usually one for ‘pushing through’, ‘getting on with it’, and refusing to admit that I’m sick despite the clear signs my body sends.
But this year in an effort to look after myself better and find my balance I am taking the time to listen.
But this year in an effort to look after myself better and find my balance I am taking the time to listen.
Last week despite my goal to complete 5 workouts a week, I took the second half of the week off after coming down with mild flu symptoms.
After pushing myself harder than I probably ever have in a combat class (and having an absolute blast!), combined with burning a bit of midnight oil working on projects I’m really excited about and just cannot walk away from at the moment; my body is exhausted and achy, and my throat burns.
After pushing myself harder than I probably ever have in a combat class (and having an absolute blast!), combined with burning a bit of midnight oil working on projects I’m really excited about and just cannot walk away from at the moment; my body is exhausted and achy, and my throat burns.
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Now I could just take some medication and keep on trucking (which to an extent I still have to with a little one as many of you will understand) but instead I’m choosing to listen. I’ve been napping when Eamon goes down, going to bed earlier and making sure this urge to eat everything in sight (that I always get when I’m sick) is fed with healthy food rather than the usual easy (often rubbish) options.
But more than that, I’m taking this is a sign that I haven’t been balancing very well. That my exercise routine last week didn’t match and balance out what was going on in my life and therefore probably wasn’t in my best interest.
But more than that, I’m taking this is a sign that I haven’t been balancing very well. That my exercise routine last week didn’t match and balance out what was going on in my life and therefore probably wasn’t in my best interest.
Exercise really should compliment what your daily life looks like.
Hectic rush around week? You probably need some yoga or a slow paced walk/ride/run that clears your head and slows you down.
Long days in an office at a computer? Higher intensity exercise that takes you ‘out of your head’ and brings some energy back to your body is going to make you feel less drained and sluggish.
Choosing exercise based purely on what we think we should be doing to lose weight/ build muscle / work endurance is never going to achieve the results you want if you choose to ignore the most important factor; what your body is doing the other 23 hours of the day.
It seems crazy to think that we just blindly follow guidelines to ‘exercise for half an hour a day, three days a week’ or ‘everyday for 1 hour’ (depending on who you listen to), when really, we are the experts for our own bodies. Or more accurately our bodies are the experts, so I think it’s time to start listening to them instead.
Are you with me?
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Definitely try to listen to my body, things go much more smoothly when I do!
My body Tries to tell me to slow down when I am stressed. In the last three weeks I have had stitches in my foot, stitches in my chest, burnt arm, and last few days diarrhea. It is like my body is giving me none to subtle signals to slow down and breath
I think you are definitely getting some messages there. I think our babes try to teach us that too with the constantly wanting to sleep on us to keep us still. It’s like they’re saying ‘slow down mum!’
This is exactly what happened to me this week too…I have been feeling run down and have had a nagging sore throat so I skipped my run on Thursday and did some pilates instead.
I am feeling better but I haven’t decided if I am feeling well enough to go for a run yet…I think the fact that I am doubting probably means that I am not!