1/12/18- Exercising When You Feel Like Shark

Yesterday I had a headache from about 4 am until 10 pm.  2 Advil and 2 Tylenol helped me power through work.  Bobby was able to pick up Jack from preschool, and they grabbed dinner. And while I laid, cuddling with Jack on the couch last night, I thought about how I should walk the dogs.  How I should get exercise.  And then I thought, why don't I allow myself just to rest tonight?  The answer is guilt.

I see my friends sharing on social media all the exercise they are getting, some of them with autoimmune diseases like me (props to them), and I feel guilty that all I want is rest.  I feel guilty when the doctor suggests that my health (and joints) will be better if I get a little exercise.  I feel guilty that Jack wants me to play and dance with him, but all I can do is watch him from the couch.  I feel guilty that dogs love taking their walks, but I tell them tomorrow.

#WhatSickLooksLike

But it's silly to feel guilty about exercise when you're sick.  If I had a cold or the flu, people would tell me to rest, and most likely I would. So if I have a headache, because of inflammation from the RA, then I should rest.  Rest is just as important as exercise when you have RA or other autoimmune diseases, so I should honor when my body is telling me to rest.

And the times I feel moderate to excellent, I will capitalize on that and exercise. The exercise might only be folding the laundry, dancing with Jack, or walking the dogs because  I'm not going to push myself and then inadvertently cause inflammation.  I want to find the right balance of exercise, so that I'm not resting all the time.  I do enjoy walking the dogs or playing with Jack.

The balance between exercise and rest is delicate when living with RA, and I don't want to feel guilty for those days when I need rest.  I want stop feeling guilty about what my body (and mind) needs.  If I need, or want, to rest, then I should rest.  I should not be worrying about exercising when I feel like shark (and I think neither should you).  Join me on the couch and say no to exercising when you feel like shark.