Running Scared (or Sick)

I've been sick more than your average bear this year. I have mostly hated it. I've done everything I could to stay well - I've been attending to my sleep, eating well, and exercising. Each time I was sick, I used Lysol to clean my door handles and surfaces and bought a new toothbrush. I wash my hands and use hand sanitizer like someone afflicted with OCD. This should not be happening to me! The one thing I can't change is that I work in a hospital around a bunch of sick people.

So, this has been a rough winter for many people. There's alot of crud (a technical term us healthcare-types use) going around. It's March, so by now we're just a bunch of walking petri dishes. Gross.

What do you do about exercise when your muscles are shriveled and weak from the onslaught of the latest virus and you just want to lie down? You should most definitely plan on going to bed early, increase your fluids, and take some cold medicine. But, before you do that - get ten minutes of some kind of exercise. If you can muster thirty, then do thirty. Make it gentle. Stretch well before you workout and just gently walk with some calm music playing. Don't push it because your muscles are prone to injury when you're sick.

Most people, myself included, want to throw in the towel when they're sick. They think they can't possibly do it and they'll just get right back to it when they're feeling good again. The problem is, that could be a week from now. You can lose alot of progress in a normal week of skipping exercise. If you skip exercise for a week of lying on the couch at every opportunity, you'll regret it when it's time to really move again. You will want to keep on with the slothfulness you've grown accustomed to and it'll be so difficult to get started again.

So, listen to your body when it tells you to lie down. Say something back like, "Yes, I will as soon as my work-out is done." Eat more citrus fruit and strawberries. Take a multivitamin (or two) and some extra vitamin C. Sleep until you can't sleep anymore. Eat some amazing soups. Drink some Chai spice tea with honey. Use Puffs with lotion so you don't get a Rudolph nose. Alter your level of exercise but don't skip it completely...it's good for what ails you.